The Las Vegas Raiders made a bold move, parting ways with head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager David Ziegler. This abrupt decision has prompted extensive commentary from several NFL pundits. Nevertheless, Antonio Pierce and Champ Kelly stepped in as interim head coach and interim general manager, respectively.
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Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk shared on “The Rich Eisen Show” how he learned about the Raiders firing Josh McDaniels. He described checking his phone upon waking up and coming across a PFT Writer’s thread, discussing Mark Davi’s decision to dismiss McDaniels. Interestingly, Florio questioned not the ‘firing’ itself but the initial decision to ‘hire’ McDaniels.
“So when asking whether McDaniels (and G.M. Dave Ziegler) should have been fired, the reality is that he shouldn’t have been hired in the first place.” Said Mike Florio.
The NFL Pundit opined that if Mark Davis didn’t intend to provide the time to build a roster aligned with the Bill Belichick culture, he should have made a different choice after the 2021 season. In hindsight, retaining interim coach Rich Bisaccia and G.M. Mike Mayock might have been a wiser move.
“It’s smart to admit a mistake and move on. Doubling down rarely pans out. But the firing of McDaniels shows what a massive mistake it was for Davis to hire him.” He added.
While the news of McDanies’ firing has taken the NFL world by storm, there’s a silver lining for the former coach. A recent revelation indicates that he won’t be going home empty-handed.
Raiders Face Costly Dilemma: Paying Josh McDaniels Not To Coach
The Las Vegas Raiders released Josh McDaniels in just the second year of a six-year contract. The team now faces the financial burden of paying him for the remaining four years, a situation reminiscent of Jon Gruden.
As reported by Joe Pompliano, NFL coaching contracts are fully guaranteed, which means the Raiders will be shelling out a significant sum, estimated between $40 to $80 million, not to have these coaches lead the team. Indeed, this raises concerns about the team’s financial management.
NFL Insider Adam Schefter offered additional insights into what he perceives as the remaining contract details:
“I think Josh McDaniels, after this season, if I’m not mistaken, has about three years upwards of 30-plus million dollars left on the contract.”
The abrupt firing of Josh McDaniels, though a blow to his pride, won’t hurt his wallet. His hefty six-year contract, valued at $10 million per year, remains fully guaranteed. Financially, McDaniels won’t be impacted, as his pay will stay consistent over the next four years. Even if McDaniels decided to work for another team, the Raiders would be footing the bill for the contract.
