Las Vegas Raiders head coach cuts Pro Bowl defender over poor effort after Week 12

The new Las Vegas Raiders regime sent a very clear message about not giving a 100-percent effort after Week 12, cutting cornerback Marcus Peters.

When Raiders owner Mark Davis took the bold step of firing head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler the goal was to enact an immediate change in culture for a team that has become a mess the last season and a half.

One of replacement head coach Antonio Pierce’s first actions in the role was to officially bench Jimmy Garoppolo and make rookie Aidan O’Connell their starter for the foreseeable future. While the results for the team with O’Connell under center have been mixed, it sent a clear message: This is a new era with new expectations.

That shift in mindset and coaching style has been a huge boost to a locker room that has been disgruntled for much of the last year. While the team has lost two straight, including a frustrating defeat to rivals the Chiefs this weekend, Pierce and the revamped front office are expected to send another message to the locker room this week that a lack of effort is completely unacceptable.

Marcus Peters cut by Las Vegas Raiders after Week 12

This weekend, The Athletic Las Vegas Raiders reporter Vic Tafur reported that three-time Pro Bowler Marcus Peters is “not expected back when the team returns from its bye week.” Peters was signed in the offseason to help bring his impressive resume and leadership to a struggling secondary. However, for several weeks there have been questions about his effort on the field.

No surprise on the @Raiders decision to move on from Marcus Peters. It had been close to happening on other occasions during this season. A chance now for the Raiders to get a look at Jack Jones.
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) November 27, 2023

Tafur claimed the organization seriously considered cutting Peters a few weeks back for this exact reason and things seemed to hit a head in Week 11 when Pierce and the eight-year veteran exchanged words before half time and he was benched in the second half of their loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Peters is a well-respected name in the league who has twice been an All-Pro. However, Pierce seems to be making it crystal clear that his new “Raiders Way” is about maximizing effort on the field and not living off a resume from elsewhere.