Las Vegas Raiders: Josh McDaniels cannot afford a repeat performance in Year 2
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders got hardly any return from Josh McDaniels’ first season as head coach, making Year 2 for him the biggest of his coaching career.
After a tremendous run by interim head coach Rich Bisaccia during the 2021 NFL season, Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis decided to bring some new blood into the organization. That new blood came in the form of Josh McDaniels, a long-time successful assistant coach from the New England Patriots organization.
Known mostly for his time with the Pats, McDaniels was a highly-sought after assistant, especially for a Raiders franchise looking to establish their own “Patriots Way.” General Manager David Ziegler and McDaniels were tasked with putting a winning team on the field in Year 1 under the new head coach after Bisaccia led the team to a playoff appearance the year before.
Unfortunately, McDaniels struggled in his first season at the helm, and after an unceremonious exit in Denver the last time he was a head coach, he cannot afford another subpar second year.
Raiders must take a big step forward in 2023
Luckily for McDaniels, the Raiders have the kind of equity you need to not only turn around a roster but the fortunes of the franchise. With Derek Carr’s contract coming off the books, Las Vegas will have over $50 million in cap space, while also holding some prime draft slots, including the No. 7 overall pick.
Ziegler and McDaniels have to get it right this offseason if the head coach hopes for a third season, as Mark Davis has sunk way too much money into the move to Las Vegas to continue to put a losing product on the field. This past season, Allegiant Stadium was like a road home game for some teams, something that had to embarrass Davis and the Raiders’ front office.
Truth be told, McDaniels has yet to prove he can win on a consistent basis as a head coach in the NFL, and the 2023 season will be very telling as to whether he will ever be more than just a very good assistant. The Raiders will be built to win this upcoming season, and it will be interesting to see if they have the right head coach at the wheel to get the job done.