In a shocking turn of events, the Las Vegas Raiders made the decision to fire their coach, Josh McDaniels. This news was met with mixed reactions from the players in the locker room. One player, wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, had a particularly close relationship with McDaniels, as he had played under him for three seasons with the New England Patriots. However, the promotion of Antonio Pierce to interim head coach helped ease the blow for Meyers.
Despite the difficult history, Meyers continued to perform well on the field even after McDaniels’ departure. In fact, he finished the season with an impressive 807 receiving yards, the second-best total of his career. The players, including Meyers and Davante Adams, rallied around Pierce and played a significant role in his appointment as the full-time head coach. Meyers gave some insight into Pierce’s involvement with the offense, stating that he was always present in meetings, paying attention, and providing input when he could.
Pierce, a former linebacker, naturally focused more on the defensive side of the ball. However, now that he has taken on the role of head coach, it is expected that he will become more involved with the offense as well. The Raiders faced significant quarterback challenges in the 2023 season, with Jimmy Garoppolo starting initially but getting injured early on. This led to Aidan O’Connell and Brian Hoyer both taking turns as starters.
Following McDaniels’ departure, O’Connell was thrust into the starting role for the remainder of the season. It was not an ideal situation for the rookie quarterback, as first-time playcaller Bo Hardegree took over as offensive coordinator. Despite the challenges, Meyers was impressed with how O’Connell handled himself throughout the season, noting his ability to stay composed even when things didn’t go his way. O’Connell showed improvement as the season progressed, throwing eight touchdowns and zero interceptions in the final four games. He is now a strong contender to be the starting quarterback for the Raiders in the upcoming season.
Austin Boyd, a sports reporter, has been covering the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Lakers.