Antonio Pierce says Raiders’ season finale still meaningful

Interim coach Antonio Pierce doesn’t want to hear anything about meaningless games as he prepares the Raiders to host the Broncos for a season finale in which both teams have been eliminated from playoff contention.

“Unless you plan on retiring and not playing in the NFL or coaching in the NFL, this is still on your resume,” Pierce said Monday, a day after the Raiders saw their playoff hopes squelched after a 23-20 loss at Indianapolis.

That’s particularly true in this case for Pierce, along with the staff and front office. Few jobs are guaranteed, and they are still trying to make their case, along with many players who will seek jobs with the Raiders or other NFL teams.

Pierce said the end of the season is an important part of the evaluation process, even for teams with more certain futures. But he believes his players and staff would be locked in even if opportunities weren’t on the line.

“Our guys take pride in playing football,” he said. “We have guys that love football, we have coaches that want to coach and see our guys win. It’s 2024, it’s a new year, it’s a great opportunity to go out with a bang at home. Get our fan base excited for what’s going to come in the future.”

Still, there are choices to be made. There might be playing time decisions based on making evaluations for the future rather than who might help win the game now that the postseason hopes have been dashed.

Pierce said those conversations will be had with general manager Champ Kelly and owner Mark Davis.

The same goes for injured players. Most NFL players are banged up at this point in the season, but some play through injuries with the season on the line.

It’s likely the team will choose to be more cautious, especially with players who figure to be key pieces in the organization’s foundation.

One example might be Michael Mayer, a rookie tight end who was starting to break out when he suffered a toe injury against the Chargers.

He has missed the past two games, but has continued to insist he plans to return. There might be no reason to risk it now.

Pierce said he has yet to get to that point and it’s not part of his mindset.

“That might be something I need to talk to with Mr. Davis and Champ Kelly about,” he said. “But for me, if you’re healthy and you’re ready to go, you play. That’s the way I was raised in this game, and that’s how I see the game.”

Pierce has always said his resume for consideration of the full-time job is on the grass, and this will be his final chance to build on it. He said he’s proud of the work he has done in the learning process as a first-time head coach and helping build what he believes is a solid base for the future whether he’s part of it or not.

“At the end of day, everything will be looked at by wins and losses, and that’s fair and what this business is about,” he said. “But I do also think it’s about what you build in the foundation. And for the most part in these eight or nine weeks, it’s been a solid foundation that we’ve built.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.