© Sergio Estrada | 2018 Aug 10
By JOSH DUBOW
ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Raiders have fired general manager Reggie McKenzie less than two years after he was named the NFL’s executive of the year.
A person familiar with the move says McKenzie was let go Monday from the position he had held for almost seven seasons. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not made an announcement. The NFL Network first reported the firing.
McKenzie’s status was in doubt ever since coach Jon Gruden was given a 10-year contract last January to take charge of the football operation for the Raiders. McKenzie’s influence had waned since then, with the Raiders cutting ties with several of the players he had acquired, most notably edge rusher Khalil Mack and receiver Amari Cooper.
McKenzie was the first major hire made by owner Mark Davis after he took over the team following the death of his father, Al, in 2011. McKenzie modernized the franchise, got the team out of salary cap purgatory and built a roster that won 12 games in 2016, earning him honors as the league’s top executive.