Many believe the end of Jack Del Rio's tenure as Raiders coach began after the Silver and Black suffered a 27-10 loss to Washington that sparked a four-game losing streak.
Hanging over that was the thought that some believed the Raiders' offensive line let Washington tee off on quarterback Derek Carr after he chose to stand during the national anthem while other players chose to sit on the bench and lock arms following President Donald Trump calling players who protest during the anthem "sons of b----es."
Owner Mark Davis doesn't believe the team intentionally let Carr take a beating. But he admits the entire situation created a dark cloud that hung over the 2017 Raiders, leading to Del Rio's firing. Davis blames himself for not being a better leader at the top of the organization during a time of turbulence.
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“I wasn’t inside enough to know what was really going on, and I take the blame for that,” Davis told The Athletic's Vic Tafur. “And it killed our team for the rest of that year. It tore at the heart of our team. It was a total defeat — socially, on the field, everything. It was a disaster. Just a terrible night. And it was my fault, because I was at the top of the food chain.”
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After Colin Kaepernick started kneeling in 2016, Davis wasn't OK with his players kneeling during the anthem. He admits he didn't fully understand the message behind Kaepernick's protest. Davis asked his players to stand during the anthem, but told them if they wanted to speak out on social justice issues he would stand with them.
“My hero was Tommie Smith,” Davis said. “Fist in the air. Strength. That was quite a statement. I didn’t see strength in Colin kneeling, and there was some confusion at first over what he was kneeling for. A little bit before that Washington game, I had told the players that while I was the first person for social justice and the Raiders are the first team in the world for social justice, I would prefer that if you had something to say, you don’t do it in a Raiders uniform. Because then you’re speaking for all 53 players and everyone that works in this organization. And they may not all agree with you.”
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Davis' stance on the anthem protest changed after Trump's comments. Prior to the game against Washington, Davis called Carr and Khalil Mack to inform the team that they had his blessing to protest.
“Certain things happened and the national climate changed. Things got hot and that clicked me back to 1968,” Davis told Tafur. “I called in Derek (Carr) and Khalil (Mack) and told them that I can no longer ask them not to say something while you’re in uniform. And that if they were going to say something, say it with class and pride and try and say it as a team. There won’t be a fine.”
The Raiders had Davis' blessing, but there still was division in the locker room. Del Rio stood with Trump (and still does) in wanting players to stand for the anthem. Carr and Mack still were young players and didn't have a firm grasp on their leadership roles. That led to some players standing and some sitting and locking arms. A divided Raiders showed up before that game in Washington.
“Everybody took a different path,” Davis said.
Carr was pummeled, and the Raiders' season started to slip away after that. Del Rio was fired and Jon Gruden was brought in to start a complete teardown to rebuild the Silver and Black into the NFL power they once were.
Davis now is firmly in the corner of the Black Lives Matter movement. He released a powerful statement after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, calling the killing a murder. Carr, likewise, has vowed to no longer stick to sports in an effort to unite people, a big step for a white quarterback in the NFL.
Davis and the Raiders have been active in the Nevada community, trying to learn what they can do to help the growing problem with police violence in the country.
“I have taken a lot of criticism over saying Black Lives Matter,” Davis told Tafur. “I am not backing some Marxist organization, it’s just a clean statement. Obviously, all lives matter, but where we’re at right now, we have to make clear that Black lives matter because a part of our society needs to hear that after what’s been going on. We have to stop police brutality.
“We have two pandemics this year, social justice and COVID virus.”
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The Raiders will enter the 2020 season with a united front, something they didn't have in 2017 under Del Rio. Davis has spoken with Gruden, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford and Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo about what the Raiders can do to be a positive force in the Las Vegas community. Davis also has sat in on Zoom sessions to discuss social injustices with his players.
The Raiders will protest against police violence during the 2020 season. They aren't sure if they will take a knee during the anthem or take a different route. But they will be united in whatever statement they make, from Davis on down.