The Las Vegas Raiders were an absolute disaster during the 2024 NFL season under head coach Antonio Pierce. If it weren't for defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and his unit, this team might have been the very worst in the league.
Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy was dealt a brutal hand with Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew at quarterback, but he failed to find any semblance of offensive success. He was fired after the bye week, and replacement Scott Turner was not much better.
However, neither Getsy nor Turner was supposed to be the offensive coordinator in Las Vegas last year. As Raider Nation knows very well, that job originally belonged to Kliff Kingsbury, the former head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, and more recently, a senior offensive analyst for the USC Trojans.
Raiders must avenge Kliff Kingsbury spurning them last offseason
In early February of 2024, almost every reputable outlet reported that Kingsbury was expected to sign as the Raiders' new offensive coordinator. This was a big move for coach Pierce and his staff, and many felt that his being paired with a young quarterback was a great formula for future success.
Just a few days after these reports piled in, however, Kingsbury officially backed out of consideration to be the offensive play-caller in Las Vegas. Not only was this a stunning development, but a complete slap in the face to Raider Nation.
Kingsbury took the same job with the Washington Commanders, who drafted Jayden Daniels with the No. 3 pick last year. Daniels was the young quarterback whom Las Vegas coveted and had a strong connection with, so Washington's making it to the NFC Championship Game in 2024 stung even more.
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On Sunday, the Raiders will travel up to Northwest Stadium in Washington to take on the Commanders, and surely, getting some revenge against Kingsbury is on owner Mark Davis' mind, as well as the fan base's.
Without Daniels under center due to injury, it may be a bit easier for the Silver and Black to wreak havoc against Kingsbury's offense. It certainly wouldn't be as impactful as what Daniels and Kingsbury accomplished last year, but to beat him will be a feather in the cap regardless.
It's hard to blame Kingsbury for his decision, as he may have caught wind of the fact that the Raiders were out of range for a young quarterback, and he didn't want to hitch himself to an O'Connell and veteran free agent wagon.
But that kind of due diligence should have been done before accepting the job and getting an entire fan base excited. Kingsbury needs to feel the wrath of Las Vegas' defense on Sunday for spurning the team last offseason.