If you ask NFL insiders or team beat reporters about the Las Vegas Raiders’ general manager and head coach openings, most of them will say that Champ Kelly and Antonio Pierce seem like the front-runners for those positions, respectively.
Last weekend, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said that Pierce has emerged as the “leading candidate” and spoke to a source close to the situation.
“I would be blown away if Antonio weren’t the pick,” Schefter’s source said.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Kelly has been present during the Raiders’ head-coaching interview process.
The Athletic’s Vic Tafur joked about a timeline for the Raiders to announce their full-time general manager and head coach.
While most people expect the Raiders to retain Kelly and Pierce in full-time roles, they haven’t made an official decision. That’s led to speculation.
Could owner Mark Davis surprise the masses with a different choice for the general manager role and take a swing at a big-name head coaching candidate?
Well, the MMQB’s Albert Breer injected former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel’s name into the discussion.
“I think if they can’t land a big fish like Vrabel, (Jim) Harbaugh or (Bill) Belichick, then they probably stick with Antonio Pierce,” Breer wrote in a mailbag response.
Most recently, ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio added fuel to the buzz around Vrabel.
“The word on the NFL streets over the weekend, when you start connecting dots, was Vrabel to the Raiders. Tom Brady [is] intimately involved in the team even though his attempt to purchase 5 to 10 percent of the franchise is yet to be approved by the owners and it might never be. But he is involved, and he and Vrabel are tight,” report on Las Vegas Raiders head coach decision.
The Raiders have satisfied the Rooney Rule, interviewing two external minority candidates, which means they can announce the hires for their general manager and head coach openings.
As the fanbase grows anxious, many want to know if the Raiders are simply doing their due diligence or if Davis has second thoughts about his interim guys.
Related: Are Kliff Kingsbury’s offensive mastery and Antonio Pierce’s fresh approach a match made in heaven?
Las Vegas Raiders hiring process draws on
Davis should interview top offensive coordinators to compare their visions with Pierce’s offensive plans because the Raiders will likely make an attempt to develop a quarterback this coming year. Rookie Aidan O’Connell made strides in his development but not enough to solidify himself as the starter for Week 1 of the 2024 season.
As CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson noted, a candidate’s choices for his coordinators could help or hurt his case for the job in Las Vegas.
However, Davis and his panel haven’t interviewed any offensive-minded coaches, which gives Pierce an advantage over the competition. Even as a CEO-type lead skipper, he’s already built a relationship with the Raiders’ offense.
This week, the Raiders interviewed former defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and another former defensive coordinator in Kris Richard.
With all due respect to Frazier and Richard, neither candidate is in a position to threaten Pierce for Las Vegas’ head coaching job. How can two candidates who didn’t coach this past season possibly pass Pierce in the pecking order?
As of Thursday morning, the Raiders haven’t interviewed Harbaugh, Vrabel or requested to speak with any of the league’s top offensive coordinators, Ben Johnson, Bobby Slowik, Dave Canales or Frank Smith.
Kelly’s presence during the head coach interviews indicates that he has an edge over Indianapolis Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds, who met with Raiders’ brass last Friday, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Interestingly, Rapoport noted that the Raiders would’ve hired Dodds if they didn’t bring in Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler together during the 2022 offseason, though Davis said something similar about Kelly back in November.
After Davis fired Ziegler and McDaniels, he made it clear that he would go into the hiring process with an open mind, noting that Kelly and Pierce aren’t necessarily a package deal.
With Tom Brady around the organization and likely in Davis’ ear, one has to wonder if his words have at least caused the Raiders owner to pause before making a final decision.
Beyond speculation, no one knows what Davis wants, but it seems clear that he hasn’t quite yet moved off his stance on his desire to retain Kelly and Pierce.
“It’s wide open. But it’s tough at the same time because I do have Antonio and Champ in those positions, and I’d like for them to get the job,” Davis said to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed.”
“So, if I start to feel like that’s definitely the way I’m going to go — which I’m not there — then I don’t want to mislead people in the interview process. So, it’s going to be a really interesting dynamic in trying to keep my mind open to the potential hirings.”
Related: 4 Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator candidates to support Antonio Pierce
With only two uninspiring head coaching interviews, the Raiders aren’t doing their due diligence (with a strong pool of candidates) to challenge Pierce until they interview someone who at least coached through the 2023 season. With Kelly involved in the interview process, Davis seems prepared to run it back with his shot-callers who helped turn around a 3-5 squad, though Brady’s voice could bring an element of surprise.
Maurice Moton covers the Las Vegas Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.