Mark Davis, the owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, has previously been regarded as “cash poor” and one of the worst owners in the modern NFL. While financial concerns have plagued the franchise in prior years, some recent speculation suggests they may have contributed to the team’s restricted movements in NFL free agency.
Davis has spent an incredible amount of money on fired general managers and head coaches in previous years. After parting ways with coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler midway through the 2023 NFL season, Davis was rumored to owe the recently dismissed Raiders regime over $90 million.
Davis does not, however, spend all of his money on team employees. The Raiders owner agreed in October 2021 to pay an undisclosed sum to former coach Jon Gruden after he resigned during the 2021 season. A former Raiders employee also described the significant financial and cultural concerns that existed as recently as 2021.
All of this has contributed to Davis’ reputation as a club owner who cannot afford to spend as much money as some of the NFL’s wealthiest. With that lingering on some fans’ minds, Raiders reporter Vic Tafur addressed the issue in a recent mailbag for The Athletic.
When asked by a fan if cash was a “factor in some of the major offseason decisions” in 2024, like as the team’s loss of head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, Tafur stated unequivocally that this was not the case.
“No, Mark Davis is making it rain dollars owing to the new stadium. He handed Josh McDaniels $50 million to disappear because he realized fast that he had made a huge error with the Patriots Way. He didn’t call Harbaugh because he believed Pierce deserved the position, and while that may be questioned later, it had nothing to do with money. And Kliff Kingsbury developed cold feet, and the contract was his way out — the Raiders do not give assistant coaches three-year contracts, which wasn’t an issue when the Raiders thought Kingsbury was coming aboard.”
