The Las Vegas Raiders' search for a new offensive coordinator is not over after all. Despite prior reports indicating that a deal was essentially done, USC senior offensive analyst and former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury is withdrawing his name from consideration, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Kingsbury's appeal lied in his ability to help mold the team's starting quarterback, whether that be an upcoming rookie or Aidan O'Connell. His understanding of the modern game made him a logical addition to Antonio Pierce's staff. Apparently, however, complications arose during negotiations.
“A contractual hang-up led to there being an opening on Kliff Kingsbury, and the Commanders are among the teams that swooped in to try and hire Kingsbury as offensive coordinator,” Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported. “Kliff-to-DC is in play.”
How will Raiders respond after their Kingsbury plan fell apart?
The optics are never good when a candidate slips through a team's grasp, but Vegas must now quickly pivot and salvage this situation. UCLA's Chip Kelly immediately jumps out as a potential Plan B since he was rumored to be interested in the position before it was seemingly filled. While he may not be some fans' first choice, and clearly wasn't the Raiders', his wealth of coaching experience and ingenuity could be invaluable for Pierce in his first year as a full-time head coach.
There are major objectives that have to be achieved before Las Vegas can be a legitimate threat in the AFC, but building a stable foundation is a crucial first step in the process. Scrambling for an offensive coordinator when most of the leading candidates are already off the board is bound to cause some wobbliness in Allegiant Stadium. Though, perhaps this unforeseen development actually works out in the team's favor.
Kliff Kingsbury has coached some supremely talented QBs, but he still comes with questions. The Raiders are being given another chance to re-assess the OC job and hire someone who could possibly be an even better fit. This organization navigates uncertainty quite often these days, so it should hopefully be ready to handle another surprise.
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