The Las Vegas Raiders may have stumbled onto the correct path for their franchise when they fired former head coach Josh McDaniels and replaced him with Antonio Pierce.
Pierce was the team’s linebackers coach for the 2023 NFL season but was thrust into the interim head coach role when McDaniels was let go halfway through the year.
Pierce would go on to lead the Raiders to a 5-4 record and was rewarded with the head coaching job in the offseason.
The former New York Giants linebacker has been lauded in the Las Vegas locker room for his ability to communicate and connect with the players.
So far, Pierce has drawn rave reviews from his roster including from star wideout Davante Adams.
Adams recently explained how Pierce was able to come in and make an immediate impact on the team, via “The Shop.”
“Having a guy that played the game you can understand is different and you can sympathize with the players,” Adams said. “The way you talk to them, whether it’s the verbiage or the understanding that you approach your players with, you’ve seen that with AP,” Adams said.
#Raiders WR Davante Adams keeps it real on JMD-AP situation last year. pic.twitter.com/n57BWgY1U7
— Justin Churchill (@ChurchillAtoZ) April 6, 2024
When listening to Pierce talk, it’s clear that he has a no-frills attitude and keeps it real with the players as far as expectations go.
As a former player, Pierce understands the rigors of an NFL season and what players might need to hear to get the best out of them.
While Pierce has a long road ahead to bring the Raiders back to relevancy, it sounds like he’s got the buy-in from the players and organization.
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