Las Vegas Raiders star defensive end Maxx Crosby continues to vouch for current coach Antonio Pierce and the team’s current brass. However, there’s more to this—apparently Pierce isn’t the only one gaining steam to return without the interim tag.
While the season’s not over, the focus on the future of the organization is omnipresent. Everyone is speculating as to who will be the Raiders’ head coach in 2024 and beyond following the ouster of the Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler regime. As far as Maxx Crosby’s concerned, it should be Pierce and interim general manager Champ Kelly.
Something or Nothing: Raiders DE Maxx Crosby vouches for Antonio Pierce and Champ Kelly
While speaking with NFL insiders recently, Crosby laid it out clearly and gave his approval to the men currently leading the Silver and Black charge.
“Selfishly, I want them to continue to be the head coach and GM. I’ve been very honest with them. I told Mark [Davis] the same thing.”
While Crosby is a decision-maker per se, owner Mark Davis takes the input from his players seriously. This is especially true following McDaniels and Ziegler’s exit. There’s no way of knowing whether retaining Pierce is the right call, especially with some crucial football left to be played. Regardless, Kelly, for his part, is gaining his own momentum ahead of the offseason.
The Athletic’s Vic Tafur recently stated that Kelly could indeed be the choice for Davis.
“In this case, I think Mark Davis has a pretty good idea if he wants to go in that direction or not. My guess is that he is leaning towards going with Champ Kelly as the GM.”
As with any report or anything related to the “insiders” covering the Raiders on the ground, we have to take things with a grain of salt. Given the status of Raiders media, it’s hard to trust whatever these people have to say at times. Still, it’s certainly worth noting that Kelly is on a short list for Davis, if Tafur is indeed correct.
*Top Photo: Getty Images
