Raiders Can't Afford To Fire Head Coach Josh McDaniels
The Las Vegas Raiders have had a brutal season, falling to last place in the AFC West.
Player development has been problematic as well, with the team giving up on a first-round pick after just one season.
READ: LAS VEGAS RAIDERS GIVING UP ON FORMER ALABAMA ALL-AMERICAN ALEX LEATHERWOOD
After the turmoil with former coach Jon Gruden, owner Mark Davis picked Josh McDaniels to take over in January.
It has not gone well.
The Raiders have lost three games in a row and have yet to win a game on the road. While nine games is a small sample, a woeful 2-7 record hasn't inspired confidence in the new coach.
![Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis and head coach Josh McDaniel](http://images.outkick.com/static.outkick.com/www.outkick.com/content/uploads/2024/01/668/376/GettyImages-1441267395.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 13: Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis speaks with Head coach Josh McDaniels prior to the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Allegiant Stadium on November 13, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sam Morris/Getty Images)
Raiders Owner Defends Coach
Davis recently said he thinks McDaniels is "doing a fantastic job" with the team, despite the poor record.
While that might be posturing, the Los Angeles Times' Bill Plaschke thinks there's more to it.
According to him, the Raiders are keeping McDaniels for financial reasons.
Plaschke said during Tuesday's 'Around the Horn' that McDaniels will be retained in 2023 because "The Raiders don't have the money to fire him, to pay him off. They're cash-poor."
Historically the Raiders have struggled financially, but a massive new stadium in Las Vegas was supposed to help alleviate those issues.
That doesn't seem to have happened, if Plaschke is to be believed.
The Raiders signed McDaniels to a four-year contract before the season, meaning they'd have substantial obligations if he's let go.
A nine-game sample isn't much to go on regardless, but the Raiders certainly expected to be better than 2-7 this season.
Major offseason acquisitions like Davante Adams were supposed to pay immediate dividends. If McDaniels doesn't deliver soon, even financial issues might not be enough to save him.