Raiders report: OC Turner addresses Belichick, North Carolina rumors

Offensive coordinator Scott Turner said his focus remains on the Raiders despite reports he plans to join Bill Belichick’s staff in North Carolina.

“Nobody has talked to me other than the people who saw it on TV,” Turner said when asked if there was any substance to the rumor. “I’m focused on the Raiders. I owe it to these players to get them ready to play and present themselves as best they possibly can.”

Turner, a former UNLV quarterback and the son of longtime NFL coach Norv Turner, took over as the Raiders’ interim offensive coordinator Nov. 5 . The team was 2-7 and scoring 18.7 points per game under Scott Turner’s predecessor Luke Getsy . The Raiders are 0-5 and scoring 15.4 points per game since the switch.

“These guys are busting their butts every week,” Turner said . “I think you guys see that. We haven’t been able to get it done, but my focus is 100 percent here. I just want to go win and have these guys have that feeling, because they deserve it with how hard they work.”

Belichick was named North Carolina’s coach Dec. 11. NFL Network reported Sunday that Turner had emerged as the leading candidate to be the Tar Heels’ next offensive coordinator.

Veteran advice

Running back Ameer Abdullah has seen a lot and learned even more in his 10 seasons as an NFL player, so the locker room tends to listen when he shares some of his wisdom.

That was the case at a recent team meeting. Abdullah delivered a speech about making sure to pour your heart and soul into every day regardless of the standings or anything else going on outside the team.

“I’ll make him feel old for a little bit right here, but it was one of those old head moments right there of just not taking anything for granted,” quarterback Desmond Ridder said. “And every time he steps on that field, he plays every play as if it’s his last. And you see that out there on Sunday, you see that out there throughout the week, the mental preparation, the physical preparation. He’s one of the best.”

Abdullah downplayed the speech when he was informed of how much it resonated. He said he was just speaking from his heart.

“The message was to never forget where you came from,” Abdullah said. “We all worked so hard to get here, so you can’t let any opportunity go by just because you’re taking it for granted.

“That was the message.”

Abdullah’s words seemed even more timely after running back Sincere McCormick suffered a season-ending ankle injury Monday against the Falcons. McCormick emerged from the practice squad this season to seize a starting role.

“You never know when something like that is going to happen,” Abdullah said. “It’s a very superb experience. He just starts breaking out and now his season is over. That was the message. You never know when it could be your last play, whether it’s this season or forever. So put your best foot forward every time you can.”

Abdullah’s words hit hard given how much respect he’s built up in the locker room.

“He’s in year 10 and he’s just doing an awesome job,” quarterback Aidan O’Connell said. “He ’s been through a lot of different systems, been in a lot of organizations and he’s able to see things I think in a more mature way than a lot of others.”

Injury report

Starting left guard Jordan Meredith missed a second consecutive practice with an ankle injury Thursday, leaving his status for Sunday’s home game against the Jaguars in question .

The rest of the Raiders’ injury report also remained the same. O’Connell (knee), Ridder (hip) and running back Alexander Mattison (neck) were listed as full participants. Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (ankle) and cornerback Sam Webb (back) were limited.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.