On Monday, Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce did not back away from comments he made about certain unnamed members of his team following Sunday’s 36-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
Upset with the Raiders’ showing against the previously winless Panthers, Pierce was asked how concerned he was about his team’s effort in a game Las Vegas trailed by as many as 26 points.
“I don’t think it was the team. I think there was definitely some individuals that made business decisions,” Pierce said, “and we’ll make business decisions going forward as well.”
Come Monday’s day-after press conference, Pierce was asked about that particular remark and doubled down, saying, “I don’t bite my tongue.”
It tracked for the straight-talking 45-year-old, a former NFL linebacker selected to the 2006 Pro Bowl. Players gave Pierce a ringing endorsement for the Raiders’ head-coaching position after he guided them to a 5-4 finish as the interim coach following the midseason firing of Josh McDaniels in 2023.
Pierce told reporters he would address the team later on Monday and be “very direct.”
“Because it is what it is,” Pierce said, “and that’s what we’re gonna do, call a spade a spade.”
So far, the Raiders’ “business decisions” have not included a change at QB1.
Pierce didn’t rule out benching Gardner Minshew for Aidan O’Connell, merely saying he had to “get with the players and evaluate everything from (Sunday) first.”
Minshew completed 18 of 28 passes for 214 yards, one touchdown and one interception before O’Connell took over. O’Connell, who started 10 games for the Raiders last season, went 9-of-12 passing for 82 yards and a touchdown.
The Raiders’ issues appeared to be far deeper than the signal-caller. The offense gained just 55 rushing yards on 16 attempts, and the defense was gashed by Andy Dalton in his first start for the Panthers following Bryce Young’s benching.
“The effort wasn’t up to par as it had been in the previous games, and that showed up,” Pierce said. “That didn’t look good at the end of the game.”