NFL insiders are "torn" on whether Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce will return for a second full season as head coach, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
Although Pierce's Raiders have dealt with injuries and quarterback uncertainty in his first season at the helm, "there is a feeling in some league circles that the job could come open" in part because of the length of Pierce's contract, according to Fowler.
The details of Pierce's deal haven't been reported, but Fowler described the contract as "shorter-term."
Pierce's future could also be impacted by Raiders owner Mark Davis' desire to give new minority owner Tom Brady "a real role in the decision-making," according to ESPN's Dan Graziano.
The Raiders have bounced between Gardner Minshew II and Aidan O'Connell under center since naming Pierce the permanent head coach ahead of the 2024 season.
Both quarterbacks have been sidelined for significant stretches of the season due to injury. O'Connell, who already missed time with a broken thumb, was carted out of a Week 14 loss with a knee injury. Minshew is meanwhile set to miss the remainder of the season after suffering a broken collarbone in Week 11.
The injury backlog means that Desmond Ridder could be set to start against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 15. He hasn't started since he lost the QB1 role with the Falcons following the 2023 campaign.
The Raiders are hoping this quarterback room will look different in 2025. The franchise could end this season in possession of the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NFL draft and subsequently take a shot at Shedeur Sanders, Cam Ward, Jalen Milroe or Carson Beck as the next franchise quarterback.
Pierce, who took over for head coach Josh McDaniels on an interim basis ahead of Week 9 of the 2023 season, holds a 7-15 overall record at the helm of the Raiders.
Davis previously said he planned to hire Brady as an employee as well as approve him as a minority owner, but will no longer be able to do so thanks to a league rule passed before the sale was approved (h/t NBC Sports' Mike Florio.)
That regulation won't stop Brady from having a "prominent voice in the team's football operation," Vincent Bonsignore previously reported for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Brady's minority stake in the Raiders was approved in October, setting him up for a potential say in whether it will be Pierce guiding the development of a potential top pick next season.
