With playoff hopes long gone, much of the talk surrounding the Las Vegas Raiders is focused on the offseason and what GM Tom Telesco will do to further build this roster and get the team back into contention, particularly in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, for head coach Antonio Pierce and all the players and staff in the locker room, there are still games to play, and they plan to win each one.
That finally came to fruition on Sunday as the Raiders ended their 10-game losing streak with a 19-14 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. All of the players and staff were in a great mood following the win, and even owner Mark Davis was in the locker room celebrating with the team. But that win dropped the Raiders from second to sixth in the order for the draft, which some fans were disappointed with.
When that subject was brought up to Pierce at the postgame press conference, however, the Raiders coach had a simple answer, directing any talk of that to Telesco via Vegas Sports Today:
“Talk to Tom Telesco.”
Raiders coach Antonio Pierce responds to talk of potentially losing out on the no.1 overall pick after beating the Jaguars.
: By @Sean_Zittel, Vegas Sports Today#RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/YLCGKZvaG0
— Vegas Sports Today (@VegasSportsTD) December 23, 2024
As a coach, it is Pierce’s job to win games; that is what he has been trying to do all season long. And with he and his staff having no assurances beyond this season and the possibility that he could be let go at the end of the year, the thought of the Raiders’ draft spot is the last thing on his mind, and rightfully so.
Pierce was put in a tough position this season, especially with the Raiders’ quarterback situation being what it is. That being said, he has gotten this team to play extremely hard for him all season long, and he and all of those players deserve to enjoy this win and leave the worries about the offseason and the draft to GM Tom Telesco and the rest of the Raiders front office.
Owner Mark Davis celebrated Raiders win with the players in the locker room
Perhaps owner Mark Davis will worry about the draft ramifications at a later time, but in the immediate aftermath of the Raiders’ first victory since September, he was in a great mood.
Following the win, Davis was seen in the Raiders locker room clapping and enjoying the win with the players. By all accounts, he was in a good mood, and the Raiders fall in draft order was not affecting him in the least.
The post Antonio Pierce On Raiders Fans Mad At Win Hurting NFL Draft Position: ‘Talk To Tom Telesco’ appeared first on Raiders Newswire.