NEWSLETTER
Las Vegas is known for good times and unexpected adventures.
As for the 2022 Las Vegas Raiders, good times have been sparse and the unexpected adventures have been hilarious (to watch from afar).
The Vegas football team is off to a 2-7 start, as one of the NFL’s worst teams. They’re worse than the Texans and are a real contender to snag the No. 1 pick if current trends keep up. Once a preseason sleeper darling, the Raiders instead boast a middling offense (14th of 32 teams in scoring) and a bottom-5 defense (28th in points against).
But don’t expect any changes. Not after team owner Mark Davis recently gave Head Coach Josh McDaniels a vote of confidence after the team’s most recent loss. And definitely not with the team reportedly having cash flow woes:
Coaches don’t usually get the heave-ho just one year in. But the outset of the McDaniels era has gone ridiculously poorly and he is giving reason to talk about change. C’mon, man! This Raiders unit just lost a home game to a team whose head coach was coaching in his first ever NFL contest and was working in an ESPN studio as recently as two weeks ago. If that doesn’t get the talk of an early dismissal just one year into a four-year pact, then nothing will.
NESN’s Dakota Randall has more details and an expanded quote from Bill Plaschke, whose comments on a recent episode of ESPN’s Around the Horn are referenced by NFL reporter Dov Kleiman in the tweet above:
“I’m saying right now: Josh McDaniels will be the coach this year and next year,” panelist and Los Angeles Times reporter Bill Plaschke said during the show. “Raiders don’t have the money to fire him, to pay him off. They’re cash-poor.”
But was Plaschke reporting or engaging in speculation? Host Tony Reali asked him to clarify.
“I have learned that they don’t have the money to fire him,” Plaschke said.
It feels pretty significant that, when given a chance to backtrack on his statements, Plaschke doubled down to say that he’s learned of the team’s money issues that are causing ownership to not fire McDaniels. It’s on another level to allege that a franchise that is part of a billion dollar entity is so cash strapped that it can’t fire a coach.
What makes this more ominous is that this isn’t the first time this has come up in conversation:
Oof. Tough scene for the Raiders. But, hey, if they’re looking to move some momney off the books, I’m willing to accept (on the Bears’ behalf) Davante Adams in a trade for cash considerations.
