Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current NFL CBS analyst Tony Romo knows exactly who the Las Vegas Raiders should hire as their head coach in 2024.
Romo and partner Jim Nantz were on the call for Monday’s Christmas game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs. A near-perfect gameplan by interim head coach Antonio Pierce and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham led the Raiders to a stunning 20-14 win over the defending champions at Arrowhead.
After the Raiders clinched a season-saving victory over Patrick Mahomes and company, Romo stated that Pierce should retain his position as the Raiders’ HC for 2024.
“I think he should be the head coach next year. I think he’s an outstanding coach. He was a great football player. He knows the game at a very high level. He communicates, and he creates a culture…you’re seeing that pay dividends right now.”
Romo and Pierce had several encounters on the field during their playing careers. Pierce was a standout linebacker for the New York Giants from 2005 to 2009, and they of course defeated Romo’s Dallas Cowboys in the 2007 NFC Divisional Round en route to a surprise Super Bowl 42 victory over the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
The Raiders fired Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler after a 3-5 start, and they have gone 4-3 under Pierce. Two of those losses were tight one-score games against playoff contenders in the Miami Dolphins (20-13 in Week 11) and Minnesota Vikings (3-0 in Week 14), further evidence of how much the Raiders have improved since Pierce replaced McDaniels.
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The defense has been an issue for this organization for years, yet they enter Week 17 as the eighth-best scoring defense (19.6 points allowed per game). That stat alone means Pierce deserves strong consideration from owner Mark Davis to return as head coach in 2024.
Davis made a big mistake by replacing interim HC Rich Bisaccia, who took the Raiders to the postseason in 2021, with McDaniels. One can only wonder if that miscalculation will play a factor in Davis’ decision to either retain Pierce or let him walk next year.
