Count Antonio Pierce among the people unconcerned with the Las Vegas Raiders losing control of the NFL Draft’s No. 1 overall pick by virtue of their win over the similarly inept Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
Not that anyone should be surprised.
Pierce’s Raiders are a mediocre product. Across the board, they don’t have much going for them. With just three wins entering Sunday, it would’ve been very easy to suggest Pierce is essentially coaching for his job, with every game’s outcome meaning so much as to whether he stays in Las Vegas or not after the 2024 season. Quite honestly, Pierce might be fired no matter what happens next, so he’s likely just focused on getting every win possible he still can in the short term.
When Pierce was asked to address Raiders fans who were upset about the team likely losing the top draft pick by winning, he said they should direct their ire toward general manager Tom Telesco.
Hoo boy.
Pierce’s comments can be read in one of two ways.
First off, as a coach who might not be employed by the Raiders come the end of the season, Pierce has no obligation to simply wave the white flag in the meantime. Worrying about draft positioning is something for a person who will likely remain in power in the front office. Namely, Telesco.
Of course, there’s the flip side of this. You could argue it’s Telesco’s fault for building a flawed, bad Raiders roster that was even in a position for the No. 1 overall pick in late December in the first place. From this perspective, Pierce would be saying it’s Telesco’s fault this top draft pick discussion is even a controversy because he didn’t exactly put the Raiders in a position to thrive.
No matter what it is, it is good to hear Pierce stand up for himself. The Raiders’ future — without him in the picture, mind you — wouldn’t be his problem. He has bigger fish to fry than worrying about getting players he likely won’t coach.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Antonio Pierce said Raiders fans upset about losing the No. 1 overall pick should talk to GM Tom Telesco
