Antonio

Pierce

Pierce had also been on the docket for the Giants, but with John Harbaugh all but sewn up it feels unlikely to happen. It does not feel likely that Pierce, 47, will rejoin the head coaching ranks this offseason. He spent 2025 as a CBS Sports analyst, which gives him a natural link to Falcons “president of football” Matt Ryan.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo notes that Pierce previously worked with Falcons president of football Matt Ryan at CBS Sports. Pierce served as the Raiders’ head coach in the NFL in 2024, after assuming interim head-coaching duties in 2023. His 2024 Raiders squad went 4-13, and he was fired in January 2025.

Pierce took over as the Raiders’ interim head coach after Josh McDaniels was fired midway through the 2023 season and went 5-4 in the second half of the season. He was brought back for 2024, which was a disaster as the Raiders went 4-13, and was subsequently fired. While that is the extent of Pierce’s head coaching resume, his history with the Giants runs deep. A linebacker who played under Tom Coughlin in New York, Pierce made the Pro Bowl in 2006 and was an integral part of the Giants’ Super Bowl run in 2007. Whether that is enough to distinguish himself amongst a group of candidates that could include John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski remains to be seen.

Stefanski certainly couldn’t be blamed for wanting to exit Cleveland after another season spent coordinating a dead-on-arrival offense hamstrung by Deshaun Watson’s contract. Especially after he didn’t appear to be on Andrew Berry’s page about giving up Joe Flacco to the Bengals in a midseason trade. As we hit silly season, Stefanski’s status will be one of the more important dominoes to watch. Hughes also mentions as names to watch for the job: Packers DC Jeff Hafley, Rams OC Mike LaFleur, Eagles OC Kevin Patullo (??), Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo, Vikings DC Brian Flores, Former Raiders HC Antonio Pierce, and Texans DC Matt Burke.

It turns out that not being told anything different yesterday didn’t actually mean much. Pierce, who went 5-4 as an interim coach last year, went 4-13 in 2024 with a roster that had almost no offensive upside. The little it did have walked out the door midseason when the team parted with Davante Adams in a trade to the Jets. Pierce was often bafflingly conservative as a game manager, giving Daniel Carlson 40 field-goal opportunities, and spoke after the season about not trusting his gut when it came to starting Aidan O’Connell over Gardner Minshew. The Raiders got a little scrappier after installing Scott Turner at offensive coordinator after the bye, but ultimately neither side of the ball played above their meager talent levels. It’s not Pierce’s fault the Raiders weren’t a winner, the seeds of that were sewn several years ago. But he clearly wasn’t elevating them either. Pierce’s future is an open question at this point as the NCAA has banned him from coaching through the year 2032 as part of a show-cause penalty against Arizona State. He may resurface as a defensive coordinator or, more likely, a linebackers coach on an NFL staff.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Pierce laid out his plans for the Raiders’ future after his team put the finishing touches on a 4-13 season with a 34-20 loss to the Chargers in Week 18. Pierce hasn’t heard anything regarding his future, but we wouldn’t be so quick to assume the team will retain him in 2025. That said, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Sunday that Pierce’s job could be safe, as he and owner Mark Davis have had “regular conversations” about the team’s future. The Raiders are in desperate need of a franchise quarterback, something they never attempted to acquire in Pierce’s first full season with the team. After dismissing three coaches since 2021, it’s possible Davis opts to stay patient with Pierce and give him a chance to construct a legitimate offense this offseason.

The Raiders’ lack of a viable starting quarterback, per Schefter, is not considered Pierce’s fault. Pierce, meanwhile, is confident he will return in 2025 for another season at the helm in Vegas. Pierce’s Raiders in 2024 have been solid on defense, allowing the eighth fewest yards and ranking 20th in yards per play allowed entering Week 18. They have been awful on offense, with only the Browns sporting a lower EPA per play than Vegas through Week 17. Schefter’s report suggested Pierce could get one more shot to turn things around in 2025.

Nothing has been finalized, but this has been the drumbeat around the Raiders all season despite the current two-game winning streak they ride. The piece mention’s minority owner Tom Brady’s role in wanting to turn things around. Most ominously, the piece notes: “Of the three players -- Davante Adams, Josh Jacobs and Crosby -- whom Davis leaned on while deciding to fire former head coach Josh McDaniels last season and eventually keep Pierce, only Crosby remains.”

When questioned about the future of Pierce, Davis said, “I don’t even want to talk about that right now.” Pierce went 5-4 as the Raiders’ interim coach last season. The team’s decision to hire him as their head coach last offseason was partly driven by players — most notably Maxx Crosby and current Jets receiver Davante Adams. The inspired play the Raiders showed in their first nine games with Pierce last season is all but gone. Injuries to the defense and no quarterback of note hasn’t done him any favors, but the 2-11 Raiders currently ranked 27th in points per game, 30th in points allowed, and are among the worst rushing teams in the league. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Raiders decided to move on from Pierce after one season. Currently set to hold a top-five draft pick, a complete overhaul could be in order with a franchise quarterback likely to be drafted next spring.

In Gutierrez’s exact words, GM Tom Telesco and HC Antonio Pierce have the signoff “to make a move, any move ... so long as it makes sense.” The buzz around Las Vegas eying the quarterbacks of this year’s draft class has been prevalent all offseason. There were previously reports that the team was hyper-focused on the position at the NFL Combine. Pierce even told reports that he doesn’t want a “Band-Aid” at quarterback. It’s clear the team wants an upgrade over Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew for 2024. What remains to be determined is how much they are willing to spend to land a top passing prospect. Currently sitting at No. 13 in the draft, Telesco will have to move up to get one of the top four prospects on most boards. If not, the Raiders could take a cheaper shot on Oregon’s Bo Nix or Washington’s Michael Penix.