Former HC Antonio Pierce Gives Frank Opinion on Raiders' Issues

Pete Carroll's Las Vegas Raiders are worse than Antonio Pierce's Raiders were.

Jan 5, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce jogs off the field after the Raiders were defeated by the Los Angeles Chargers 34-20 at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders fired Antonio Pierce shortly after the end of last season. The move was reportedly made for various reasons, but the team's 4-13 record, which included many injuries and a 10-game losing streak played a role in Pierce's dismissal.

Fair Game

Pierce's lack of experience as a head coach was regularly brought up before the start of last season and at the end. Las Vegas hired Pete Carroll, partially because of his experience, only to suffer fewer injuries, while losing 10 of their last 11 games. Eerily similar to Pierce's Raiders last season.

Pierce recently spoke about the Raiders' issues. He believes it will take years for them to fix their several glaring issues. Those issues have led to several years worth of losing seasons, inlcuding Pierce's 4-13 stint with the team last season.

Nov 30, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) reacts after a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

“What’s soon? We just fired our offensive coordinator. I was there last year with the Raiders; we didn’t have a good offense. They still don’t have a good offense. Fan base is upset. You talkin’ about offseasons? Might need decades to fix this bad boy coming up. I’m just saying," Pierce said.

"One and done, one and done, one and done. Is there another coach gone? Is there another coordinator? Listen, there’s going to be something I talk about a little later where everybody’s pointing the finger. At some point, the thumb points back.”

Some may feel that Pierce is sour grapes because of how things went down on his way out. However, few people would not have taken exception with being fired from their job in the manner Pierce was. It was unorganized, as the Raiders allowed him to address the media again the day after his final game.

Still, this year's Raiders must push forward, as they only have five more games left in what has been a very forgettable season. Carroll plans to lean on veterans such as Maxx Crosby and others to help gett them through what is unquestionably a challenging time for the Raiders.

"Yeah, it's enormous to see a great player play great. It's one thing about reputation and all that, but he doesn't live on that. He lives on what he does with the very next play he gets and does everything he can to get the most out of it,” Carroll said.

“And that's the messaging that we try to send through all of our players, and he's a great illustration of what we're talking about. But not everybody has the same ability as Maxx [Crosby]. Not everybody is as talented as him. Maxx has proven that over a long time, and so we need more players that can play close to that kind of level, and we'll be more productive, and we'll make more things happen, and we'll be harder to deal with."

Nov 23, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) talks to head coach Pete Carroll in game against the Cleveland Browns during the fourth quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

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