Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis said Wednesday that he fired head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler on the belief that the team was not going to improve under their leadership. Davis claimed that he wanted to wait until the trade deadline to clean house.

“Unfortunately, I had great hopes for Josh and Dave,” Davis told ESPN. “It just seemed we were going in the wrong direction. So, with the trade deadline, I just felt it was time to make a change, time to make a move.”

In addition to McDaniels and Ziegler, Davis also fired offensive coordinator Mike Lombardi to finish a nearly complete personnel change. Linebackers coach Antonio Pierce has been promoted to interim head coach, assistant general manager Champ Kelly as interim general manager and quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree as the interim offensive coordinator.

The Raiders are in the midst of a horrendous season, as they currently hold a 3-5 record despite an abundance of talent on both sides of the ball. With wide receiver Davante Adams and running back Josh Jacobs on offense and DPoY contender Maxx Crosby on defense, the team seemed poised for success before the season. Instead, some of these stars have simply grown frustrated as the team has cycled through quarterbacks without finding any answers.

Adams has been the most vocal in his criticism of the team, which makes some sense considering he was traded to Las Vegas in 2022 as the team was rebuilding. Since then, the Raiders have sent away quarterback Derek Carr and acquired Jimmy Garoppolo, who has struggled immensely when he hasn’t missed time due to injuries.

In a 26-14 defeat to the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football, Adams made just one catch for 11 yards despite appearing open for big plays through the game. He was visibly frustrated speaking to reporters after the game.

“Honestly, I don’t know what to say at this moment,” Adams said. “I truly don’t. I wish I had the words to say something that’s not going to get blown up in the media and taken out of context.”

This isn’t the first time Adams has expressed his frustrations with the team, and though his comments led to rampant trade rumors, he is apparently in Las Vegas to stay for the time being. He is currently on pace to have one of the worst seasons of his career, including his early ones in Green Bay before he rose to stardom.

In the backfield, Jacobs has managed to find slightly more production, as he is not as reliant on the team’s quarterback. But as a whole, the offense is vastly underperforming and the defense is struggling in turn.

Tom Brady insisted that his playing days in the NFL are over in a recent interview. After retiring and unretiring in 2022, he is standing by his 2023 retirement and is already making plans for his future in football and beyond.

“I’m certain I’m not playing again, so I’ve tried to make that clear and I hate to continue to profess that, cause I’ve already told people that lots of times,” Brady told Sports Illustrated.

Though Brady said that he has no intention of returning to the field, he does not wish to step away from football altogether. Instead, the future Hall-of-Fame quarterback said that he has an intense interest to become a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.

This deal with the Raiders was what sparked rumors of another potential comeback bid, but Brady roundly rejected the speculation, stating that his ambitions extended well beyond his abilities as a player. He said that he intends to maintain a presence in football for the “next 45 years,” referring to his future as a personality and investor.

According to Raiders owner Mark Davis, Brady joined Las Vegas’ ownership group last week and is now awaiting approval from the league. In order to officially become a part-owner, 24 team owners must approve in a formal vote.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity I have with the Raiders,” Brady said. “We’re in the process of that, along with the other different things that I’m a part of professionally. And in my personal life, just spending as much time with my kids as I can. And seeing them grow up, and support the different things that they have going on. That’s a very important job.”

In addition to his new deal with the Raiders, Brady is also expected to begin work as a Fox Sports broadcaster in 2024. He reportedly signed a 10-year, $375 million deal with the network.

The Las Vegas Raiders were on the brunt of controversy following their tweet in regards to Derek Chauvin‘s trial.

Chauvin is a former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd. Floyd died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin held his knee against the handcuffed Floyd’s neck for nine minutes. Floyd repeatedly said that he could not breathe. On Tuesday, Chauvin was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.

Immediately after the conviction, the NFL and the teams released statements regarding the conviction. “Today’s outcome in the Derek Chauvin trial in Minneapolis does not undo the loss of life. Mr. George Floyd should be here with us today,” the statement said. “Our hearts remain with the Floyd family, and we understand the pain, anger, and frustration does not go away even when justice is delivered.”

“Importantly, even as we identify reasons for hope, we must continue to help move our society toward a more equal and just tomorrow,” the league said. “We are proud to partner with NFL players and clubs and remain committed to do the important work needed to make positive change in our society.”

As other teams released a statement regarding the conviction, the Raiders did something else that sparked controversy. The team released a photo with the words, “I can breathe,” and the date.

The photo was met with criticism by Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, who was vocal about it. James retweeted the Raiders tweet and wrote, “This is real???? Nah man this ain’t it at all,” the retweet said. “The F^%K!!!!”

Raiders owner Mark Davis defended the team’s social media post and said that it came from Floyd’s brother, Philonise, who said, “Today, we are able to breathe again.” Davis also offered an apology in case the Floyd family was offended. “If I offended the family, then I’m deeply, deeply disappointed,” Davis said.