Adam ShifterSenior writer at ESPN3 minutes to read
The reason Pat McAfee thinks Josh McDaniels is fired
Pat McAfee explains why “The Raider Way” played a role in Josh McDaniels’ firing.
League sources told ESPN that firing coach Josh McDaniels, general manager Dave Ziegler and some members of the coaching staff will cost Davis about $85 million.
Some of those costs will be borne by compensation and dilution, but the dismissals were, as one source described to ESPN, “an expensive move nonetheless.”
The costs didn’t stop there for the Raiders, who also reworked the contracts of interim head coach Antonio Pierce and interim general manager Champ Kelly.
Some sources in the organization say Davis isn’t worried about money — he’s worried about creating a winning organization, which is what led to the change this week, never mind the costs.
“Unfortunately, I had high hopes for Josh and Dave,” Davis told ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez on Wednesday. “It seems like we’re going in the wrong direction. So, with the trade deadline, I felt like it was time to make a change, time to make a move.”
Some sources expected shootings to occur. “I just heard if they lose to MNF badly [against the Lions]McDaniels is [gone]”.
No one will fact-check this source’s transcript of the week before the Raiders’ loss on “Monday Night Football,” but the thinking was clear enough: Davis was running out of patience.
After Las Vegas’ 26-14 loss to the Lions on Monday night, Davis personally apologized to a group of Raiders players for wasting their season, league sources told ESPN, and confided in a small group of people within the organization that it was time to do so. changing.
Pierce will become the 12th different person to coach a game for the Raiders over the past 20 seasons, including interim coaches — the most of any NFL franchise during that span. Pierce will be the Raiders’ eighth coach, interim or regular, since Davis took over the team following the death of his father, Al Davis, in October 2011. Pierce follows McDaniels, Rich Bisaccia, Jon Gruden, Jack Del Rio, Tony Sparano, Dennis Allen and Hugh Jackson.
Unsurprisingly, instability comes at a price – beyond a financial one – for Davis. The Raiders haven’t won a division title since 2002, tied with the Jets for the third-longest active drought in the NFL, behind only the Browns (1989) and Lions (1993).
Davis said he’s “fascinated” enough by Pierce’s resume, including a nine-year NFL career as a linebacker, one Pro Bowl selection and a Super Bowl title with the New York Giants, against whom he will make his coaching debut. In the NFL on Sunday. – To sit with him.
“It seems like a new approach,” Davis said. “Seems like the adjustment we need at this time. I’m impressed.”
Davis added that Pierce “understands the culture of the Raiders, and that’s important to me. I felt good about that.”
“Alcohol enthusiast. Twitter ninja. Tv lover. Falls down a lot. Hipster-friendly coffee geek.”