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The decision to fire Josh McDaniels was well received by the Las Vegas Raiders locker room during the season but there were some players who were closer with the coach than others. Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers played under the coach with the New England Patriots for three seasons before joining the Raiders last year.
While Meyers did have a closer relationship with McDaniels than many of the other players, the decision to promote Antonio Pierce to interim head coach helped soften the blow.
“The history there kind of made it tough,” Meyers told Heavy Sports in a February 5 interview. “As far as just, somebody you cared about being let go, fired. It’s gonna be hard at any level for any job. But at the same time, A.P. is such a genuine dude. You take the shot and bounce right back.”
Meyers continued playing well after McDaniels was let go and finished the season with 807 receiving yards, which was the second-best total in his career.
Jakobi Myers Reveals Antonio Pierce’s Involvement on Offense
The players have rallied around Antonio Pierce and they played a big role in him getting the full-time head coaching job. Even offensive players like Jakobi Meyers and Davante Adams supported the coach.
Pierce likes to be involved in all aspects of the team and Meyers gave some insight into how involved the coach was with the offense.
“I don’t know as far as the quarterback, but I know he was always in meetings and just paying attention and watching, learning and giving input when he can,” Meyers told Heavy Sports. “But he’s definitely more defense. He’s just a genuine dude so it was cool to have him around.”
Pierce is a former linebacker so it’s logical he would give most of his attention to the defensive side of the ball. Now that he’s the full-time head coach, it’s likely he’ll be more involved with the offense.
Jakobi Meyers Praises Aidan O’Connell
The Raiders had some major quarterback issues in 2023. Jimmy Garoppolo was the starter to begin the season but quickly got injured which led to Aidan O’Connell and Brian Hoyer both starting games.
After Josh McDaniels was fired, O’Connell was thrust into the starting role for the rest of the season. It wasn’t a perfect situation for the rookie quarterback as first-time playcaller Bo Hardegree took over as offensive coordinator. Jakobi Meyers was impressed with how O’Connell handled himself throughout the season.
“I’m sure it hurts sometimes when things don’t go your way but with us, he always stayed smooth,” Meyers told Heavy Sports. “… It was really cool to just see him go through that. That was a messy message situation. That’s not going to be easy for anybody – a 10-year vet or a rookie. So the way he just stood there, stood tall and took everything that came to him. … Respect to him.”
It was a rocky start for O’Connell but he improved as the season went on and threw eight touchdowns and zero interceptions across the final four games. He’s going to be in the mix to be the starting quarterback for the Raiders next season.
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