Paul GutierrezESPN Staff Writer November 1, 2023, 4:25am ET7 minutes read
Raiders fire coach Josh McDaniels, GM David Ziegler
The Las Vegas Raiders announce that they have fired head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager David Ziegler.
HENDERSON, Nev. – The Las Vegas Raiders fired coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler late Tuesday night, less than two years after coming to Southern Nevada from New England. Linebackers coach Antonio Pierce was named interim coach and Champ Kelly was promoted from assistant general manager to interim general manager.
There’s no word yet on who will handle the offensive playcalling duties, as that was McDaniels’ job.
McDaniels was just 9-16 with the Raiders, including 3-5 this season, and he and Ziegler were at the forefront of some of the most embarrassing losses in franchise history, including:
He blew the largest lead in franchise history in a loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2 last season after leading by 20 points.
In Week 10 last season, the Indianapolis Colts fell to the Indianapolis Colts, who were led by an interim coach in Jeff Saturday who had never coached above the high school level before. It was Saturday’s only win in the eight games he coached last year.
He lost a double-digit lead to the Los Angeles Rams and quarterback Baker Mayfield, who had joined the team just two days earlier, last December.
In Week 8 last season, he was suspended in New Orleans when the starting offense failed to cross the 50-yard line.
He lost in Week 7 of that season to Tyson Bagent of the Chicago Bears, a Division II rookie quarterback who had not yet been drafted.
The duo of McDaniels and Ziegler took over a team that was 10-7 in 2021 and made the playoffs for just the second time since 2002. While offense should be McDaniels’ strength, the Raiders’ offense has suffered a slump this season. It is the No. 31 overall offense in the NFL in yards per game (268.3), No. 32 in rushing yards per game (70.0), and No. 30 in points scored per game (15.8).
And the move from nine-year starting quarterback Derek Carr to the oft-injured Jimmy Garoppolo was no coincidence, as Garoppolo has already missed two and a half games due to a concussion and a back injury and still leads the league with nine interceptions. There have been rumors that the team might move on from Garoppolo, who signed a three-year, $72.75 million free agent contract in March but is coming off one of the worst statistical games of his career in Monday’s loss to the Detroit Lions had freshman Aidan O’Connell.
So how did this come about and what can we expect from the Raiders for the remainder of the 2023 season and beyond?
Why make this move now rather than during the bye week or at the end of the season?
Simply put, Raiders owner Mark Davis had seen enough and recognized the mistake of the new hires. Plus, in recent games and at the Las Vegas Aces’ championship parade – Davis also owns the two-time WNBA champions – Raiders fans have literally had to look him in the face and beg him to fire McDaniels.
The bye week doesn’t begin until Week 13 in December, and what had the Raiders really been filming lately to show they were ready to turn things around? There is talent on the roster, untapped talent that could use a boost from a fiery leader like Pierce, not unlike what the Raiders did with Rich Bisaccia in the playoffs two years ago. With the New York Giants and New York Jets at Allegiant Stadium with two winnable home games coming up, what better time to salvage a season and get back to .500, right?
The Raiders seemed determined to see the McDaniels-Ziegler partnership through. What has changed?
Actually, there is a lack of a clear and successful plan. While few in the building were upset about Carr’s move, especially the way he left the team after being benched with two games left last season, he signed the oft-injured Garoppolo to a big contract despite knowing that he needed surgery on his left foot seemed… desperate. Using the No. 7 pick on Tyree Wilson, an edge rusher who had surgery on his right foot, appeared to be similar.
Still, signing Carr to a contract extension and giving him a no-trade clause that allowed him to leave without the Raiders getting anything in return wasn’t a good fit. The fact that games were lost because Raiders alumni were increasingly embarrassing themselves on social media certainly stood out. Wasting players like wide receivers Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow as well as running back Josh Jacobs and defensive end Maxx Crosby — well, that was unreasonable.
Raiders owner Mark Davis (center) fired coach Josh McDaniels (left) and general manager Dave Ziegler (right) on Tuesday evening. The Raiders are 3-5 this season and 9-16 since McDaniels and Ziegler were hired after the 2021 season. Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports
Which players could benefit from this move now?
No doubt the new playcaller, whoever that is, will want to get Adams more involved. He hasn’t had a TD catch since Week 3 and has a one-catch game for 11 yards in Detroit. Jacobs, the reigning NFL rushing leader, has never rushed for 100 yards in a game this season. And Renfrow, who caught 103 passes two seasons ago, has just 10 catches on 16 targets. And if Pierce chooses the rookie over the struggling Garoppolo, O’Connell will benefit too.
What is the pulse of the locker room and how might it evolve following this move?
After the frustrating loss at the Lions, the Raiders’ locker room felt like a mausoleum as Adams, usually a dictionary and thesaurus in postgame scrums, was speechless. Crosby, who tried to send a message to Detroit by rocking a retro Ron Artest Indiana Pacers jersey (Malice in the Palace, anyone?), seemed, well, decidedly un-Artest and was more accepting and gentle. And the normally gregarious Jacobs was furious.
While it may not be as well constructed, it’s a top-heavy squad with a lot of frustrated and unhappy stars. Hitting “reset” now could reignite the love for the game that Garoppolo spoke of in his postgame presser. It remains to be seen how this will affect success on the field.
Davante Adams is at a loss for words after another Raiders loss
Davante Adams shares his frustration after the Raiders’ 26-14 loss to the Lions on “Monday Night Football.”
Who could be on the radar as the Raiders’ next coach and GM?
Let’s say the Raiders catch fire and make a run for the playoffs. Pierce and Kelly should keep their jobs and the temporary tags should be removed. Unlikely, right? That could have been said two years ago. And one might have said that interim coach Rich Bisaccia and his staff, as well as then-GM Mike Mayock, deserved at least a year to show that their heartbreaking run to the playoffs was no fluke. And yet…here we are.
Still, it will be interesting to see if Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh tires of his struggles with the NCAA and is actually interested in Las Vegas. Finally, his coaching career began in 2002 with the Raiders as QB coach.
What are the realistic prospects for the rest of the season?
Few, if any, teams actually achieve an emotional boost in the playoffs. And yet the Raiders showed two years ago that it is possible. Look, there is still talent in this squad, in all three phases. If it were just about motivating players, Pierce would have an advantage over the stubborn and oft-described manic McDaniels. The key, however, lies in offensive play. And the Raiders’ upcoming two-game home game against the Giants and Jets will tell the story. Check back.