Antonio Pierce says he's 'proud' of how Raiders finished season

ByFIELD LEVEL MEDIA
January 6, 2025, 2:59 PM

Las Vegas Raiders players credited head coach Antonio Pierce for keeping them motivated despite a 10-game losing streak and 4-13 season, and the team unity is part of the reason he expects to be back as head coach in 2025.

"I'm really proud of how we finished the season," Pierce said Monday at his usual day-after-game press conference.

Pierce said he is continuing to fulfill his role as head coach and hasn't heard "anything different," leading to the expectation that he will be in the role in 2025.

Tight end Brock Bowers and quarterback Aidan O'Connell were among the players who said Sunday they wanted Pierce to return.

"Just being myself every day. I never change, win, lose or draw," Pierce said. "It was challenging. When you lose 10 straight, how do you keep going in front of the team to motivate them? ... I thought you saw some things, you could see the players improving."

"We've got to get better players, got to coach better. You've got to do a lot of different things better when you win four games."

Pierce said he doesn't want to make major changes to the coaching staff and expects to have a conversation with general manager Tom Telesco and owner Mark Davis.

Pierce said he hopes to have a bigger impact in draft preparation and is familiar with the quarterback prospects in the 2025 class.