LAS VEGAS — Antonio Pierce walked into Allegiant Stadium with a smile on his face and Brock Bowers’ last name on his back. Before what could potentially be his final game as the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coach, Pierce was wearing his rookie tight end’s jersey.
It was fitting given how Pierce got the job in the first place. The driving force behind owner Mark Davis’ decision to fire head coach Josh McDaniels halfway through last season was the fact that the locker room had soured on him. After taking over as interim head coach, Pierce instilled a player-driven culture that changed the vibes for the better in short order.
The former NFL linebacker connected with the players on a personal level, was more open to their feedback and motivated them to compete every week. When Pierce left the field to chants of “AP” from the crowd to end the 2023 season, it was clear to anyone paying attention that he’d be hired as the Raiders’ next head coach.
There were no such chants Sunday after the Raiders lost to the Los Angeles Chargers 34-20 to end the 2024 season. Many of the same fans who cheered for Pierce to get the job a year ago have already turned on him because of the Raiders’ woeful 4-13 season, a campaign that featured 10 straight losses. It’s unclear whether he’ll even make it to Year 2.
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But what is clear is that he maintains the support of the players.
“I really like AP as a coach,” Bowers said Sunday. “We’ll see what happens. I know decisions are made and it’s up to certain people and not us, so we don’t have any control, but I really like playing for him and I think he’s a great coach.”
Final. pic.twitter.com/3QJDxxN1Y9
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) January 6, 2025
Davis, of course, is who will make the decision. He met with Pierce after the game as usual but declined to speak to reporters once the conversation was over. As it stands, Pierce is still scheduled to hold his end-of-season press conference Monday morning.
When asked about his job security in his postgame news conference, Pierce said, “No comment.” He passed on publicly making a case for himself, but the players handled that for him.
“Shout out to AP. He kept the guys motivated, even when we were losing so many in a row,” receiver Jakobi Meyers said Sunday. “AP just did a great job this year of keeping us going and keeping us understanding what the goal is at the end of the day.”
The Raiders hoped to compete for a playoff spot this year, but they didn’t come close. Poor quarterback play, a rash of injuries and Pierce’s game-management struggles were the primary culprits. In a season full of lows, the worst stretch came when they went nearly three months without a victory. Although the losses continued to pile up, the level of effort from the players never waned.
The players credited that to Pierce’s leadership ability, consistency and energy. The Raiders were undoubtedly a bad football team this year, but there was no quit in them. That’s Pierce’s best argument to keep his job.
“He’s the guy that’s got to get up there every day and talk to us and continue to try to motivate us. He did a great job of that,” quarterback Aidan O’Connell said Sunday. “Obviously, we had a long skid there where we didn’t win a game, but guys continued to show up to work and do the right things.”
Pierce won a Super Bowl as a player with the New York Giants, but there were bad seasons, too. That experience helped him when it came to continuing to inspire his players. That relatability was crucial to keeping the team together.
“That’s what really helped us and kept us motivated,” right guard Dylan Parham said Sunday. “We know what we’re playing for. It was just easy to come in here and keep the same mentality, regardless of the outcome. … With the season, obviously, it hasn’t gone the way we wanted it to, but every game we felt like we had an opportunity to win.”
But in the end, the Raiders weren’t that competitive this season. Of their 13 losses, nine were by double digits. They had several games where they started well but ultimately couldn’t keep up with their opponent. That script played out again against the Chargers. The Raiders took a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter but gave up a 31-3 run, and the game got out of hand.
“It’s simple. We talk about it,” Pierce said when asked why that continued to happen this season. “Take care of the football, be efficient on third down and in the red zone, run the football (and control) time of possession. Today, that didn’t happen.”
As much as that’s on Pierce, it’s also true that the Raiders roster wasn’t good enough to be competitive. Maybe it was in training camp, but it definitely wasn’t after they traded receiver Davante Adams and ended the season with 12 players — including five defensive starters — on injured reserve.
“I was working with 53 guys. That’s all I can say,” Pierce said when asked about the roster. “Whatever 53 guys I get, I work with them. It is what it is. Nobody feels sorry for the hand you’re dealt.”
Perhaps Pierce could take a step forward next season with another batch of offseason additions — namely a new starting quarterback — and an upgrade at offensive coordinator. The players seem to feel like he deserves a chance.
“That’s my dude,” safety Tre’von Moehrig said Sunday. “He’s been solid from day one, since last year, and I can’t say enough good things about him. He has pushed us and is a great leader, just has great energy. (Pierce) showed up every day with the mentality that no matter what happens, this is our job, and we have to show up and have pride. The guys bought into that and stayed together until the end.”
Whether this is the end for Pierce with the Raiders isn’t in the players’ hands, but that doesn’t mean their input is meaningless. Davis cares deeply about what his players think — votes of confidence from Adams, defensive end Maxx Crosby and running back Josh Jacobs were pivotal in Pierce getting the job — and will surely factor their support for Pierce into the equation.
It’ll soon be revealed whether that’s enough.
(Photo of Pierce and Jakobi Meyers: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
