After an uneventful NFL Black Monday left us with more questions about the coaching carousel and the top NFL head coaching vacancies, Jason Fitz joined GoJo and Golic to break it all down and discuss what’s next.
No one bleeds more silver and black than Jason Fitz, so it was only right that he shed some light on the rumblings around whether or not Antonio Pierce will be returning to the Raiders sideline next season. He shared that he was not surprised nothing happened yesterday and that anyone who has worked with or been around Tom Brady knows he doesn’t make big decisions on a whim, but instead EVERY move is calculated. To his point, he expressed that Raiders owner Mark Davis has been candid about Brady giving his input and Fitz believes that Brady will talk with Pierce to try to get to the bottom of what led to some of the Raiders’ shortcomings and try to figure out how to avoid them going into next season.
Furthermore, Fitz contended that it is difficult to evaluate Pierce given the Raiders’ quarterback turnstile, and as much as the silver and black faithful may want him gone, he is not sure it is a done deal. However, if Brady were to bring someone in, Mike Vrabel would be the ideal candidate. But given how in demand Vrabel is, Fitz doubts the Raiders job will be of interest, ultimately making him 50/50 on whether Pierce returns.
Does @jasonfitz believe Antonio Pierce will return as the Raiders' head coach next season?
“Can you judge Antonio Pierce with the quarterbacks he had this year? Probably not, but I am not 100% sure as much as fans want to hear that he's gone, I'm not 100% sure you can say… pic.twitter.com/NUBPT4Vy3E
— DraftKings Network (@DKNetwork) January 7, 2025
Senior expressed disbelief that the Raiders haven’t made a decision on Pierce’s future, calling it ridiculous. He pointed out that there was ample time to discuss the matter with Brady before the season ended, even with Brady’s weekly broadcast commitments. He said the team should have been prepared to decide before the final game in order to avoid falling behind in scheduling interviews and conducting their head coaching search if that’s the route they’re going to take. The longer this delay continues, the more likely it is Pierce will return. Fitz agreed with Senior, praising the Jets for acting quickly and decisively in pursuing Mike Vrabel once he was released from his contract with the Browns. He noted that the Jets immediately rolled out the red carpet, seizing the rare opportunity to interview a coach before the end of the season, which the Bears didn’t prepare for. Fitz also highlighted the importance of being definitive in these situations and highlighted a trend that there were fewer firings than expected. He speculated that the hesitancy by most teams might be due to a coaching market that, aside from the Lions’ coordinators, lacks standout names.
EDITOR’S NOTE: After the publication of this article the Raiders fired Antonio Pierce.
RAIDERS MOVE ON FROM ANTONIO PIERCE https://t.co/UmfxQFwTh0
— DraftKings Network (@DKNetwork) January 7, 2025
The Patriots gave Jerod Mayo the boot after one season, with Patriots fans holding their breath for a potential Vrabel signing. When weighing how attractive the Patriots head coaching vacancy is, Fitz recalled an encounter he had with former NFL head coach Herm Edwards years ago in which the coach told him, “If you’re a coach with a quarterback, you’re a good coach, and if you’re a coach without a quarterback, you’re a stinky coach.” Fitz admitted the firing of Mayo was surprising, because when he was doing draft shows last year the consensus was that it was great that the Patriots were adding Drake Maye at quarterback in the 2024 Draft because they were expected to have the worst roster in the league could turn around and address other needs with their high pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He questioned what Mayo could have done differently, noting that the team’s poor performance matched the low expectations set for their talent level. While Mayo wasn’t perfect, Fitz argued it’s unclear whether he underperformed with a roster widely considered the league’s worst.
When the dust settles, we are still left with the question of which job is better — New England or the Chicago Bears. Fitz made a case for the Bears job because of his belief in Caleb Williams’ potential and how he could thrive with the right coaching and structure. Despite their challenges, he argued that the Bears have a better roster than the Patriots and offer a faster path to winning. However, he acknowledged the difficulty of competing in the NFC North, where the Vikings, Lions and Packers all appear set for a while. Ultimately, Fitz leaned toward New England as the better coaching opportunity, citing a clearer path to success in their division.
“Do you think the New England job or the Chicago job is the best?” @golic
“I would probably lean toward New England because I like a path to winning, and my god, the Vikings, the Lions, and the Packers all look good for a while.” @jasonfitz pic.twitter.com/IvmRmdXBp6
— GoJo and Golic (@GoJoandGolic) January 7, 2025
One of the teams that GoJo thought would be worth throwing in the best available job conversation is the Jacksonville Jaguars. GoJo pointed out that the Patriots’ roster still has a long way to go, so deciding to retain Executive VP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf is even more intriguing, given the lack of progress in key areas. He noted that while Christian Gonzalez had a strong defensive season, injuries and offseason departures left the defense and overall roster in a tough spot.
Fitz agreed with GoJo and referenced insights from Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports, who argued that Vrabel might view the Jaguars’ head coaching job as more valuable than most people think. The reasoning includes Vrabel’s familiarity with the division, the presence of a franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence and the role’s autonomy. He explained that coaching in Jacksonville provides a level of grace and anonymity not found in larger markets like Chicago, where similar results would face daily public scrutiny. Another appealing aspect of the Jaguars job is working with a hands-off owner and a team featuring promising talent in a winnable division. For coaches seeking a contrast to highly involved owners like Jerry Jones, Jacksonville offers an attractive opportunity.
Watch or listen to the full show below and tune into GoJo and Golic weekday mornings from 8-10 a.m. ET on DraftKings Network! See more about how to watch DraftKings Network here.
SHOW BREAKDOWN
Hour 1: Job Interview SZN + Most Disappointing NFL Teams + Exciting Wild Card Matchups + Dallas Cowboys Decisions
VIDEO
Watch GoJo and Golic every weekday on Samsung TV Plus, Roku, Xumo Play, Google TV and DraftKingsNetwork.com from 8 to 10 a.m. ET. The show is also available via audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow Mike Golic Sr. on X at @golic and Mike Golic Jr. on X at @mikegolicjr.
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