The Las Vegas Raiders seem to be in a tricky situation.
On one hand, they have a decent amount of talent on both sides of the football, and they now have a head coach in Antonio Pierce who their players love and respect, as opposed to Josh McDaniels, who was fired midway through last season.
However, they do not appear to have a legitimate quarterback, as Aidan O’Connell, who was an underwhelming rookie last year, and Gardner Minshew, who has mostly been a career backup, will battle for the starting spot.
This situation could perhaps cause someone such as star defensive end Maxx Crosby to consider leaving the Raiders, but when Jim Rome asked him about doing so, he said he plans on staying with them for a long time and winning with them.
Crosby mentioned being inspired by NBA legends Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, who played on mediocre squads when they were in their mid-20s but stuck through it and were rewarded for their loyalty by winning championships later on.
The 26-year-old is one of the best pass rushers in football, and he had arguably his best year yet in 2023 with 14.5 sacks and a league-high 23 tackles for loss, both of which were career-highs.
He was named to the Pro Bowl for a third straight year, but he couldn’t prevent the Raiders from sagging to an 8-9 finish and missing the playoffs.
They have reached the postseason just twice since 2002, and their boisterous fans are growing very impatient and frustrated.
