Reporters explain why hiring Josh McDaniels was a mistake in the first place

On Tuesday night, the Las Vegas Raiders fired head coach Josh McDaniels. Some felt it was the right decision because he was a poor fit for the organization.

"So when asking whether McDaniels (and general manager Dave Ziegler) should've been fired, the reality is they never should've been hired in the first place," wrote Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio. "It's smart to admit a mistake and move on. Doubling down rarely pans out. But the firing of McDaniels shows what a mistake it was for [owner Mark] Davis to hire him."

McDaniels flopped in his first stint as an HC with the Denver Broncos, posting an 11-17 record in two seasons. Denver fired him after Week 13 of the 2010 season. Yet the Raiders gave the former New Engalnd Patriots offensive coordinator a second chance even though interim HC Rich Bisaccia led them to a playoff appearance in 2021.

It quickly became apparent hiring McDaniels was the wrong choice. The Raiders backtracked to 6-11 in 2022 and started 3-5 this season.
Also, the organization made regrettable personnel moves under the HC. For example, it signed quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo — who leads the league in interceptions (six in nine games) this season — to a three-year $72.75M deal this offseason. He was reportedly benched for rookie Aidan O'Connell on Wednesday.

Per James Palmer of NFL Network, McDaniels is the first HC to be fired before the end of his second season for two different teams. Clearly, the Raiders shouldn't have disregarded his previous tenure in Denver.