If it were up to Las Vegas Raiders  legend Charles Woodson, Antonio Pierce should have been made the team’s full-time head coach following their win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

The next two weeks will be huge in the coaching career of former New York Giants star Antonio Pierce. The 45-year-old was thrust into a messy situation midway through the season when he was elevated from being a well-liked linebackers coach into one of the toughest jobs in the NFL: head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.

While things have not come easy, the 4-3 record the team has posted since he took over the job, and the renewed joy from inside the locker room have made many around the team believe that the newbie head coach has done enough to have his title switched from interim to full-time head coach in 2024.

One person who would fully support such a move is former Raiders star Charles Woodson. The pro football Hall-of-Famer and long-time analyst recently gave his thoughts on Pierce during a recent appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio and explained why their Week 16 win over the Chiefs should have been a clincher for the job.

“I don’t think he could have done a better job. And to go on the road and beat the Chiefs, beat one of our biggest rivals, in the fashion that they did. He’s put his stamp on his team. And so yeah, [Owner Mark[Davis] can go out and he can look far and wide, but he’s not going to find another Raider that understands what this thing should look like more so than Antonio Pierce.

“So I would give him my blessing. You know, from what I’ve seen so far, I think the players have given him his blessing as well, the way they performed. And I would be very happy with Antonio Pierce being the guy going forward.”

Las Vegas beat Kansas City by a score of 20-14 in a surprising road win in Week 16. The victory moved them a game within .500 and in striking distance of a winning season with matchups against the Colts and Broncos left on their schedule for this season.