SOURCES: No Mandate or Foregone Conclusion on Raiders QB, Head Coach

IRVING, Texas—Over the past weekend, the Las Vegas Raiders’ record fell to 2–11, and two national reports emerged regarding the team’s future at the quarterback and head coach positions.

The immediate future.

The first report came from Mike Florio, who, while being interviewed, stated that coach Antonio Pierce’s future status with the Raiders was a “foregone conclusion,” implying that Pierce would be fired as head coach.

According to a team source, “That is not the case at all. There are a lot of things moving forward, and I can tell you that no decision has been made on Antonio Pierce’s firing. The only foregone conclusion that I know of is that this franchise has to win, and there are plenty of reasons why we aren’t right now.”

A second report from Sports Illustrated senior writer Albert Breer stated, “I’ve heard the football people there could be under a mandate to draft a quarterback in April.”

A team source told me, “How can you have a mandate in early December? Absurd. It doesn’t mean we wouldn’t take a quarterback. I don’t think any of us knows where we will even be picking or what the hell the cost to move up would be if you could at all if you aren’t sitting a number one. We want to win.”

The source added, “We want to win. We know there are big decisions and ramifications coming in the offseason—we all see and know that. But if anyone is telling people there is a mandate, they are clueless. The only mandate here is to win. We have to get better everywhere in the organization, not just one spot."

No matter the Raiders’ actions in the NFL draft or head coaching decisions, one thing is clear: Raider fans and the team’s leadership will not tolerate mediocrity.

If there was one way to convey the situation inside the building, it would be that “Commitment to Excellence” is not just words. It is a mindset, and they are committed to not cutting any corners to get there.

If one player or coach can fix the process quickly, they will make that move. One thing is certain: This organization won’t make a knee-jerk reaction. They are process-driven, and that, in the immortal words of Martha Stewart, “is a good thing.”

If the process requires some patience and playing a long-term game of chess, they would also do that.

The only thing certain with the Raiders is the organization’s direction: “Just Win, Baby.”

With four games left, it is about hunting for the answers to make the Silver & Black winners again.

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