Following Sunday’s loss to the Colts, Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis endorsed Josh McDaniels despite his disappointing 2-7 start as head coach.
I have no problems with Josh,” Davis told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Monday. “I am getting to know him better. When you sign someone to a contract, don’t you expect him to fulfill it?”
With playoff aspirations entering the season, the Raiders have fallen apart. They’ve blown big leads, lost to a three-win New Orleans team, and have been inconsistent.
Davis denied rumors that McDaniels could lose his job in Vegas after just one season, despite the struggles.
We searched exhaustively and found the person who we believe will bring the Raiders to greatness,” Davis said. “I like Josh. I think he’s doing a great job.”
Under new leadership, the Raiders are still in the early stages of rebuilding.
Davis said, “Life is fluid. You want to win at the end of the year and hold the trophy in your hand. Obviously, we’re not there yet. I understand the frustration of fans. I’m one of them.”
After Sunday’s loss, McDaniels met with Davis as usual.
“We meet every week after every game, even during the preseason,” McDaniels said. It is a normal occurrence for us. He is great. He has the same urgency as we all have, if not more. He has been here for a long time. He has seen this when it was good, and he wants to win even more than anyone else. While he feels frustrated, he has been incredibly supportive of you. That’s crucial in the future, of course. We’re all here because of him, and we want to do what’s right for him.
Regardless of how he feels, I want to know what it is. I think that’s my role, and my job is to make sure I always know where he is and that he does not conceal anything from us. I appreciate the way he leads and his support, and you sense his urgency to do whatever it takes to get us to where we want to be as quickly as possible. There is nothing else I could ask of him.”
In the wake of Sunday’s loss, an emotional Derek Carr expressed frustration with the Raiders‘ slow progress in 2022.
As a result of the loss, McDaniels understands the frustration of his players.
McDaniels said on Monday, “We are building. I never use the word rebuilding or anything like that. This is the National Football League.” There’s not five years to do that, so we know that. I think we’re going through a process. It’s certainly slower and more painful than what anybody wants. Our sentiments are the same.
As a production-based business, we are evaluated based on what we do.”
In the meantime, McDaniels has more time to improve after a disappointing start.