The Raiders were clearly beaten by the Andy Dalton-led Panthers on Sunday. In his post-game press conference, head coach Antonio Pierce In response to his team’s performance, there may be proposed changes to the squad in the near future. 
“As the game progressed … there were definitely some individuals making business decisions,” Pierce said this, but declined to name specific players (via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez). “And we will continue to make business decisions in the future.”
The Panthers gained 437 yards on offense and won 36-22. Dalton – who replaced the struggling Bryce Young – became the first quarterback to record at least 300 passing yards and three touchdowns in a game in 2024. Pierce’s comments suggest that there could be notable changes in the near future, at least on the roster at certain positions.
The 2024 offseason brought a number of changes, with former Chargers General Manager Tom Telesco hired as Vegas’ new GM. Owner Mark Davis previously regretted that she did not Rich Bisaccia as head coach after holding the title at the end of the 2021 season. Pierce, on the other hand, was stripped of the interim title this spring, allowing him to continue after serving at the conclusion of last year. That will make 2024 his first full season as a head coach at the NFL level.
The 45-year-old is expected to oversee the development of the Raiders, a team that is facing questions, particularly at the quarterback position. Gardner Minshew won a summer competition for the role of starter over Aidan O’Connell after the team actively sought to move a playmaker up the draft list. Both Minshew and O’Connell are under contract for 2025, but issues on offense will undoubtedly lead to further speculation about a move at the position in the spring.
On defense, the Raiders rank near the bottom of the league in several categories. Improvement on that side of the ball will be a goal going forward, although the team’s edge rush group is struggling due to the absence of Malcolm KoonceIt will be interesting to see how the coaching staff responds to Sunday’s loss after it dropped the Raiders to 1-2 on the year.
