The Las Vegas Raiders have been in desperate need of changes for the entirety of the 2025 NFL season. While the hope was that these were just some initial bumps and bruises for the new regime, it has become clear that Las Vegas simply does not have the right pieces in place.
After a poor showing in Week 10, the Raiders fired special teams coordinator Tom McMahon, making him the first domino to fall for the team's struggles. When things didn't immediately turn around, two weeks later, they fired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly after a loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Kelly's firing came as more of a shock, considering owner Mark Davis made him the highest-paid offensive coordinator this offseason in a three-year deal reportedly worth up to $18 million. But Las Vegas wasn't done making changes to the coaching staff after Week 12's loss.
Raiders also fire Bob Bicknell, Chip Kelly's right-hand man
On Monday morning, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that the Raiders were also firing senior offensive assistant Bob Bicknell. As Pelissero noted, this was somewhat expected, as Bicknell is Kelly's right-hand man.
Bicknell joined the coaching staff this offseason after Kelly accepted his position in Las Vegas. The two have a deep relationship, as Bicknell was Kelly's wide receivers coach when he led the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2010s.
After Kelly was fired by the Eagles, he landed a head coaching gig with the San Francisco 49ers. Bicknell, of course, followed Kelly to the NFC West, just as he did to the Raiders. This now marks the third time that Bicknell has been a casualty of Kelly's being fired.
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Unfortunately for Bicknell, he has attached himself to some sinking ships lately. He joined Dennis Allen's New Orleans Saints in 2023 and Jerod Mayo's New England Patriots in 2024. Obviously, a senior offensive assistant or a position coach is not solely responsible for a team's struggles.
But Bicknell has been the common denominator for some bad offenses in recent seasons. His firing after Kelly's departure made sense, given the two's relationship. But his firing from multiple other franchises begs the question of why Kelly thought he'd be a great person to have alongside him.
The house cleaning is getting pretty ugly in Las Vegas, as there is no shortage of people who are deserving of blame. The franchise is in one of its darkest places in recent memory, and perhaps more firings are the only way out of it. At least, that seems to be the strategy right now.