After inheriting the majority ownership of the Las Vegas Raiders from his father Allen Davis, Mark Davis has been leading the franchise since 2011. Though the franchise owner might be assumed as a funny guy due to his bowl-cut hairstyle, he is ready to do it all for the team.
The recent firings of head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler amid the regular season have proved again that Davis can do anything anytime for his team. However, some recent updates say the decision actually fell financially heavy on the franchise as well.
Raiders to pay nearly $85 million for McDaniels and Ziegler’s departure
Davis entrusted Josh McDaniels with the coaching job last season with the hope of ensuring a long-awaited breakthrough performance to secure a playoff spot. But he was often seen outraged over the coach’s offensive strategy which was pretty visible during their 17-13 win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 5.
After a 3-5 mark till Week 8, the Raiders owner couldn’t resist sacking the McDaniels and Ziegler duo. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Davis and the Raiders will have to face a financial burden of $85 million to bid adieu to the duo. The burden came as McDaniels is just in the second year of his six-year deal that the Raiders are set to pay.
Nevertheless, the Raiders owner boasts a net worth of $1.9 billion in 2023. Hence, he might have no bother regarding the loss of money. Instead, some sources said the veteran has more concern about putting together a winning team, which he thought Josh and Dave would ensure.
“Unfortunately, I had great hopes for Josh and Dave. 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.”
By trading the coach and manager duo, Davis once again demonstrated that he will not let money have any impact on how he operates his franchise.
Raiders look to revamp following consecutive double-digit losses
After winning the season-opening match against the Denver Broncos, the Raiders lost three consecutive games and fell to 1-3. Veteran players like Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams publicly expressed their displeasure with their head coach. Even the franchise’s fans were claiming to fire him, but Davis showcased his unwavering commitment to the vet and instead defended him by urging netizens to “smarten up.”
The Raiders indeed picked up two consecutive wins over the Green Bay Packers in Week 5 and the New England Patriots in Week 6. However, they again lost the charm in the following weeks and went through two straight losses in their last two games. With these back-to-back defeats, Josh closed his Raiders journey with a 9-16 record.
After departing with the failed coach and manager, the Raiders declared linebacker coach Antonio Pierce as interim head coach, and current assistant general manager Champ Kelly as an interim GM. The team will play against the New York Giants in Week 9 which will have their quarterback Daniel Jones at the helm.
Do you think that the Raiders will be able to bounce back in the match? Tell us in the comments.
