How much did it cost the Las Vegas Raiders to fire Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler?
While the Raiders’ decision to fire both their coach and general manager was understandable, it’s one that has most definitely come with a significant cost.
In the wake of two major dismissals, the Raiders must now pick themselves up with a new and inexperienced coach to boot. With questions about the stability of such an environment, it will be interesting to see how the team responds.
The cost of firing Josh McDaniels & Dave Ziegler
You may have seen our previous report covering the firing of Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler. Though the decision shocked many as it came at the end of the trade deadline, it was not without reason given that the team entered November with a 3-5 record, following two consecutive losses to the Bears and Lions. What further turned heads, was the fact that owner Mark Davis followed up the move by promoting linebackers coach Antonio Pierce to the role of interim coach despite the fact that he has no previous experience in such a position. Now, though reports do in fact suggest that the general mood of the locker room in Vegas has improved, there is most definitely an issue to address and that’s the cost of it all.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Raiders owner Mark Davis will now have to pay out approximately $85 million to terminate the contracts of McDaniels and Ziegler. “Mark Davis demonstrated again this week that he will not let money influence how he operates his franchise,” Schefter wrote on Saturday. If you’re wondering, McDaniels posted a 9–16 across two seasons with the Raiders in what was his second opportunity in the role after a two-year tenure with the Denver Broncos (2009-2010). Indeed, this marks the second time he has been dismissed in his second year with a team.
Why did Mark Davis do this?
Whether you agree with him or not, one can’t deny that at the very least Davis was transparent about his motivations for the decision when speaking with the media earlier this week. “Unfortunately, I had great hopes for Josh and Dave,” Davis said on Wednesday. “It just seemed we were going in the wrong direction. So, with the trade deadline, I just felt it was time to make a change, time to make a move.” Interestingly, he was also equally clear about why he chose Pierce to replace McDaniels for the time being. “I got the feeling he was the right guy at the right time,” Davis said. “Someone who can lead and create and have the respect of the team. After talking to him, I was very confident he was the right choice.” At this point, we can only wait to see if Davis’ choices will pay dividends or simply cost him more than he anticipated. As for Pierce, he will make his debut on Sunday when the Raiders host the New York Giants, the team with whom he made his name as a player.