Raiders finally make one of the most important moves this regime could make, and it could pay off in a big way
The Raiders got Fernando Mendoza his right hand man.
The Las Vegas Raiders had their staff finalized, for the most part. The only complaint going into the season with this staff was that they would not have a quarterback coach for their presumed No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza.
Now, they do. According to several reports, the Raiders are hiring former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Sullivan as the quarterback coach, and this couldn’t have been a more home run hire.
Sullivan, who was initially expected to join the Rutgers coaching staff, is instead coming to Las Vegas ahead of the draft to help coach potential No. 1 pick Mendoza, for whom it is crucial they have a coach, specifically a right-hand man for the rookie QB. Sullivan was the QB coach for the Denver Broncos in 2018 when Klint was an offensive assistant and Gary Kubiak was senior personnel advisor. Sullivan, 59, was key in Eli Manning’s early career with the New York Giants, too.
To get a better feel for Sullivan, I talked with A to Z Pittsburgh’s Rob Gregson.
Raiders hire former Steelers coach Mike Sullivan
Coach Sullivan spent four seasons with the Steelers from 2021-2024, during which he coached or assisted with a plethora of quarterbacks. Most notably, he was with Ben Roethlisberger in his final season, and he helped Justin Fields produce the best six-game stretch of his career while starting in Pittsburgh.
The most impressive part of his resume should be what he accomplished as an interim co-offensive coordinator. After Matt Canada was relieved from his duties midseason, Sullivan immediately changed the complexion of the Steelers’ offense. He helped reinvigorate the run game and was a catalyst behind the Steelers going from 7-7 to 10-7 and in the playoffs.
He’s the type of experienced, proven voice that needs to be in Fernando Mendoza’s ear, so I like the hire a lot for Vegas.
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