Why Jonathan Abram says Josh McDaniels ruined the Las Vegas Raiders
Former Las Vegas Raiders safety Johnathan Abram has taken a pointed shot at New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in an Instagram post that circulated on Thursday, holding his one-time coach responsible for the deterioration of what Abram felt was a real core in Las Vegas, per Levi Dombro on X.
“I miss playing inside you. Josh McDaniels ruined everything we built!” Abram wrote. “He should be arrested for sabotaging the organization and going back to NE.”
Abram and McDaniels overlapped briefly in Las Vegas in 2022
McDaniels was hired as the Raiders’ head coach ahead of the 2022 season, taking over from the interim staff that had finished out 2021 following Jon Gruden’s resignation.
His first season with the franchise produced a 6-11 record and no playoff appearance. He was fired midway through his second season in 2023 after a 3-5 start. He subsequently moved to Foxborough to join the Patriots as their offensive coordinator, which is the “going back to NE” that Abram is referencing in his post.
Former Raiders S Jonathan Abram wants #Patriots OC Josh McDaniels arrested:
“I miss playing inside you. Josh McDaniels ruined everything we built! He should be arrested for sabotaging the organization and going to NE.”
McDaniels briefly coached Abram in 2022.
(📸 thejabram IG) pic.twitter.com/pBTLM1DGdP
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) June 25, 2026
Abram, a safety out of Mississippi State, was a first-round pick of the Raiders in 2019, selected 27th overall. He built his best NFL stretch in Las Vegas under previous coaching regimes, starting 13 games in 2020 and 14 in 2021 while becoming one of the more physical presences in the secondary.
His time there overlapped with McDaniels for just one season. The Raiders released him during that campaign, and he went on to brief stints with the Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, and New Orleans Saints before leaving the league.
The charge that McDaniels “sabotaged” Las Vegas is a strong one with some company in the fanbase. The Raiders had drafted well at several positions heading into 2022, but the team never cohered under McDaniels, who was also dealing with the fallout from a controversial trade involving Davante Adams and a locker room that multiple reports at the time described as divided.
McDaniels’ tenure ended without a playoff appearance and with a roster that needed significant reconstruction.
McDaniels is currently in his second year as the Patriots’ OC under head coach Mike Vrabel. New England finished with a 14-3 record in the 2025 season and beat the Houston Texans in the playoffs on their way to reaching Super Bowl LX.
His standing in the league has improved considerably since the Raiders dismissal, which probably does not factor into Abram’s math on what justice looks like.
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