In a surprising turn of events, the Las Vegas Raiders have bid farewell to their General Manager Dave Ziegler and Head Coach Josh McDaniels following a disappointing Monday night loss to the Detroit Lions, which left the team with a 4-6 record for the season.
Ziegler and McDaniels, both hailing from the New England Patriots organization, had a relatively short-lived tenure in Sin City. They took the reins of a 10-win team that had made the playoffs in 2021 under interim Head Coach Rich Bisaccia. However, it didn’t take long for their leadership to transform an immensely talented squad into a considerably less competitive one.
One of the most puzzling decisions during the Ziegler-McDaniels era was the release of Derek Carr and the acquisition of Jimmy Garoppolo, known for his injury history and inconsistent performance, on a three-year deal worth $72.75 million. This move, according to insider Hondo S. Carpenter from Sports Illustrated, was championed by McDaniels, while Ziegler vehemently disagreed.
“Dave and Josh disagreed on a lot. I will not get into all of it; I will after the season, but Josh was in charge. I will get into the ten biggest disagreements that they had and where both of them failed after the season. I will give you one area they disagreed vehemently, but you’ll have to wait for the others. Josh wanted Jimmy Garoppolo, and Dave thought it was a terrible decision. Plenty of more details and other examples after the year.”
🚨REPORT: Former #Raiders GM Dave Ziegler tried to talk HC Josh McDaniels out of signing QB Jimmy Garoppolo to a three-year, $72 million deal, per @SInow.
Ziegler thought it was a HORRIBLE decision to sign Jimmy😳
“Dave and Josh disagreed on a lot”
“Josh was in charge. Josh… pic.twitter.com/6lmZlEQyRv
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) November 7, 2023
Garoppolo’s tenure with the Raiders has already been marred by injuries, causing him to miss two games, and he was even benched in favor of rookie Aidan O’Connell during a Week 9 victory against the New York Giants. In six games, Garoppolo has posted modest numbers with 1,205 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
Following the departures of Ziegler and McDaniels, the Raiders have ushered in a new era with Champ Kelly taking the reins as General Manager and Antonio Pierce assuming the role of Head Coach. Their debut on Sunday saw the Raiders deliver an impressive performance, triumphing over the New York Giants with a resounding 30-6 victory.