Al Davis’ seemingly annual “Will he or won’t he” coaching decision will be sped up in 2011.
Steve Corkran of the Oakland Tribune notes that Davis is contractually obligated to tell coach Tom Cable by January 18 whether he intends to pick up a one-year, $2.5 million contract on Cable’s contract. There is speculation that Davis could turn the show over to offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, who could attract some outside job interest.
Davis has generally taken his sweet time deciding on Cable’s fate. He didn’t officially hire Cable until February of 2009 and last year publicly said they hadn’t made a decision on Cable’s job in early February despite all indications he would stick around.
From an outsider’s perspective, the Raiders have lived up to their talent level this season or even overachieved. We suspect Davis may disagree, seeing this as a playoff team that should be better than 7-8.
The Raiders could certainly help Cable’s case by winning in Kansas City and finishing 6-0 in the division.