Tom Brady takes Raiders Bill Belichick desperation to new level with latest firing

The Las Vegas Raiders fired head coach Antonio Pierce this week, albeit a few days late, and have opened a door for several looming replacements. Ben Johnson would be an ideal choice, though he also has interest from the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars, among others.

The Raiders are a tough sell as compared to those openings, mainly because they do not have a quarterback plan in place. The Patriots have Drake Maye, while the Jaguars signed Trevor Lawrence to an extension just last offseason.

What Vegas does have, however, is a general manager opening. The Raiders fired Tom Telesco on Thursday, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Telesco is just as much at fault for the Raiders failures as Pierce. Heck, he agreed to keep Pierce on for another season after his successful interim run in 2023-24. Vegas, under new minority ownership thanks to Tom Brady, opted to clean house. It's tough to blame them given the on-field failure of the past season-plus.

Raiders firing Tom Telesco challenges Bill Belichick to really say no

Bill Belichick agreed to become North Carolina's head coach just a month ago. Belichick is enthusiastic about his return to college, as the NFL didn't seem to enjoy his hands-on approach during the last coaching cycle. These days, that is more applicable to the collegiate level, where Belichick can mold a program in his image and even make his son, Steve, the head coach in waiting.

Tom Brady and Belichick go way back for obvious reasons. They won six Super Bowls together. There is a mutual trust between the two and any divisions from the past have since been solved. Belichick appeared at Brady's roast, and the two reportedly keep in touch.

So, if Brady calls Belichick about the Raiders head coach opening, the future Hall-of-Fame coach will listen. Belichick built his reputation in the NFL, and a chance to prove his doubters wrong with the Raiders of all teams is a gift he didn't know he needed.

However, the best chance the Raiders have at convincing Belichick to leave his post at UNC – and thus endure a $10 million buyout – is the chance to reboot the Patriot Way. With New England, Belichick had control over everything. He was general manager and head coach. Suddenly, Vegas has an opening at both of those spots, which provides Belichick with an interesting opportunity if both sides are interested.

The Patriot Way could make a comeback in Sin City. it's a longshot, but very much on the table.