Anonymous Raiders Source Blames Owner Mark Davis for Team's Failures

Insider claims Davis has never respected the GM role, leading to poor roster decisions

Apr. 10, 2026 at 5:48am

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A fractured, geometric painting depicting the chaotic action of a Raiders football game, with sharp planes of silver, black, and metallic gold overlapping to create a sense of disarray and dysfunction.The Raiders' ongoing struggles are reflected in a deconstructed, cubist-inspired illustration that captures the team's disjointed on-field performance.Las Vegas Today

An anonymous source within the Las Vegas Raiders organization has blamed owner Mark Davis for the team's ongoing struggles, claiming he has never properly respected the general manager position and has made poor roster decisions as a result.

Why it matters

The Raiders have only had two winning seasons since Davis took over the team in 2011, missing the playoffs for the last four years. This insider criticism provides insight into the dysfunction within the organization and the potential reasons behind the team's lack of sustained success.

The details

The source alleges that Davis has allowed head coaches like Antonio Pierce, Pete Carroll, and Josh McDaniels to have too much control over roster decisions, rather than empowering the general manager. This has led to the team acquiring 'a s*** roster' year after year. The source also claims Davis let Jon Gruden pick Mike Mayock as GM, then let McDaniels choose his 'best friend' Dave Ziegler, and now is allowing Tom Brady to influence the selection of John Spytek as the new GM.

  • Mark Davis inherited the Raiders in 2011 after the passing of his father, Al Davis.
  • The Raiders have only had two winning seasons since Mark Davis took over the team.
  • The Raiders have missed the playoffs for the last four consecutive seasons.

The players

Mark Davis

The current owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, who took over the team in 2011 after the passing of his father, Al Davis.

Antonio Pierce

A former Raiders head coach who was given a 'sh*** roster' according to the anonymous source.

Pete Carroll

A former Raiders head coach who was also given a 'sh*** roster' according to the anonymous source.

Josh McDaniels

The current Raiders head coach, who the source claims was allowed to choose his 'best friend' Dave Ziegler as the team's general manager.

Jon Gruden

A former Raiders head coach who was allowed by Mark Davis to pick Mike Mayock as the team's general manager.

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What they’re saying

“Antonio (Pierce) was given a s*** roster. Pete (Carroll) was given a s*** roster. The underlying issue is that Mark has never really respected the GM (general manager) position. He let (Jon) Gruden pick (Mike) Mayock. Then he let Josh McDaniels pick his best friend as GM, Dave Ziegler. Now, he lets Tom Brady do the same thing with John Spytek.”

— Anonymous Raiders Source, Team Insider

What’s next

The Raiders will have a new head coach in Klint Kubiak and likely a new quarterback when they select Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL draft, as they look to turn around their fortunes after four straight seasons of missing the playoffs.

The takeaway

This anonymous criticism of Raiders owner Mark Davis highlights the dysfunction within the organization and the potential reasons behind the team's lack of sustained success in recent years. It suggests Davis has not properly empowered his general managers, leading to poor roster decisions that have plagued the team.