Raiders players seem pretty happy Josh McDaniels was fired

The current vibe of the Las Vegas Raiders locker room is probably best described as “Munchkins going through a leadership change.”

One of the most miserable situations in the NFL came to its natural conclusion late Tuesday night with the firing of Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels, ending a tenure that saw him go 9-16 in a season and a half. General manager David Ziegler and offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi were also let go.

The results on the field were reason enough for Raiders owner Mark Davis to move on from McDaniels, but the coach apparently did a number on his players’ morale, if their behavior over the last two days is any judge.

Davante Adams, who butted heads with McDaniels, seemed particularly happy Thursday as he played some locker room basketball, pausing to mock McDaniels before sinking a jump shot:

“This is why they’re losing because they’re worried about the wrong s***,” Adams said while mocking McDaniels. “F***ing run the right route, catch the ball.”

He added “Catch that s***” after making the basket.

Meanwhile, there was a report of Raiders offensive linemen breaking into impromptu wrestling matches, while veteran wide receiver Hunter Renfrow described the scene to reporters:

It’s a scene reminiscent of the Jacksonville Jaguars after the exorcism of Urban Meyer, in which everyone, from the players to the interim head coach, seemed happy to see the first-year NFL coach go.

The path forward probably won’t be much better for the Raiders, though. The team’s record currently sits at 3-5 and it has the 11th hardest remaining strength of schedule. It’s still the same roster, just without the person who led them into such a state. But sometimes, that all you need for morale to pick up.

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