The Broncos had better beat the Raiders.
And the Raiders might be just fine with that.
Well, maybe not the Raiders themselves – the players and Antonio Pierce. But what about Mark Davis? Just win, baby? No, no, no – just Shedeur, baby.
There’s still a lot of football to be played in the 2024 season, but it’s fairly evident that the Raiders aren’t going anywhere. If they ever want to go somewhere, they should lose, lose, lose – starting on Sunday against the Broncos.
Sean Payton and Co. should – and will – depart Sin City with a win. They’re just a better team – by a longshot. But in a weird way, that could help Vegas in the longrun.
Will Shedeur be sporting Black and Silver instead of Black and Gold next fall? Here’s what our guys had to say.
Shawn Drotar
I think the Raiders are the proverbial “leaders in the clubhouse” to land Shedeur Sanders; they have the glitz, the glamour, and the glaring need. While the Giants would love to have him, the constant dysfunction within that franchise might encourage Deion Sanders to pull a Jack Elway/Archie Manning and flex enough muscle to get the G-Men to pass. Las Vegas is close enough to Denver that Deion can visit Shedeur regularly and attend home games with ease, and with a superweapon like tight end Brock Bowers already in silver and black, the Raiders could become a factor in the AFC West in relatively short order, even if they have to pay a king’s ransom in trade to move up and get him… and they will.
Mark Knudson
The Raiders don’t have to try to tank. It comes naturally. We know Shedeur wants to be a Raider. Just look at his Twitter. The question is why? Must be the bright lights, big city, big endorsement deals thing. It’s certainly not about winning. So based on what Deion said, it would seem the only way he’d be happy with his son landing in Vegas would be if he was the Raiders head coach…and over the past decade, the Raiders are a franchise where coaches go to get fired. So that doesn’t make a lot of sense. But then again, Deion doesn’t see himself as just another coach. If Deion doesn’t end up as the Raiders HC, it’s really hard to see LV being one of those “right” teams for Shedeur. What will he do then? I’ll stick to what I’ve been saying and writing all season: Deion and Shedeur will end up in Dallas with Jerry Jones. It’s the perfect fit for all three of them. Big spotlight and all that. Maybe the Raiders do draft Shedeur and then Dak Prescott ends up a Raider via a trade? Stranger things.
Dan Mohrmann
I’m not sure that the Raiders are in active tanking mode as they’re just a bad football team and really a bad organization. They currently sit at the No. 5 pick in the draft. With Tennessee, Cleveland and New York all with uncertain quarterback situations (and Jerry Jones potentially licking his chops to trade up for Shedeur) it’s going to be a tough sell for the Raiders to actually come away with the Buffs QB. With games remaining with Jacksonville and the Saints, there are still two potential wins out there. And Antonio Pierce is coaching for his job every week, so he won’t go quietly. I can’t possibly begin to understand what Prime’s criteria for a “right” team would be. Certainly, he thinks Dallas would be one of them. But outside of the Cowboys, when looking at the teams not currently in the playoff picture nothing jumps out. Except maybe one. I could see Deion working behind the scenes to get the LA Rams to move up big time. They have an out with Matthew Stafford after 2025 and Hollywood Shedeur would be must-see TV for football fans and probably even Roger Goodell.
Cody Roark
The Raiders are banged up with a multitude of injuries and don’t have a quarterback or a plan for one in sight. So much depends on whether or not they stick with Antonio Pierce, but it’s already been noted that Tom Brady will have a big say in who they draft at QB. He has obvious ties to Shedeur, but there will be a magnifying glass on that to avoid potential tampering. Doesn’t ultimately matter who the Raiders get, they still have a handful of problems they have to sort out and they may have to offset capital to get the guy they want.
Nate Lundy
Vegas is perfect for Shedeur Sanders. That city loves flash. Sizzle. Showmanship. Sanders has the entire package. And even if he flops, they’ll still love him. Just look at how long Carrot Top has been there.