Raiders Release Wilson : Without Warning, Davis Sets His Quarterback Free

In a shocking move, the Raiders terminated their unhappy Marc Wilson era, releasing their long-embattled quarterback suddenly and without ceremony Friday night.

The decision by Al Davis came as a huge surprise. Wilson was known to be new Coach Mike Shanahan’s choice to quarterback the team.

No reason was given but speculation revolves around the fact that Wilson, a free agent, spurned the team’s recent mini-camp, saying he wouldn’t report for anything until he was signed to a new contract.

To Davis, long embarrassed at the $4-million contract he had given Wilson five years ago to keep him away from the United States Football League, this may have been the last straw.

One thing this move does is leave the Raiders without an experienced quarterback, other than Jim Plunkett, the 40-year-old warhorse they had planned to retire.

Now who’s their quarterback? Among those on the roster, Steve Beuerlein, who spent his rookie season on injured reserve, looks like the front-runner, with Vince Evans second and Rusty Hilger third.

However, there has also been speculation recently about Davis renewing his interest in the Redskin backup, Jay Schroeder.

In typical Raider style, the news was released only to local wire service outlets and not until Friday night. Raider official Mike Ornstein, reading a statement which was said to have come from Davis, announced:

“We have not renewed our option on Marc Wilson. He is a free agent and able to sign with anyone he wants. We did not put him on waivers. We just did not renew his option.”

Wilson couldn’t be reached Friday night but earlier had told the Associated Press from his home near Seattle:

“It’s a bittersweet feeling. I was looking forward to playing with the new coaching staff and the new offense. But this opens up new opportunities.”

Wilson was a first-round draft pick out of Brigham Young in 1980 and became the Raider starter--briefly--in 1983, the season in which they had become Super Bowl champions. That season, he was about to move on an offer from Donald Trump of the USFL’s New York Generals when Davis reeled him back in with the guaranteed $4-million contract.

Wilson was made the starter that week and then quarterbacked the Raiders to a 40-38 victory at Dallas. He was hurt soon thereafter, however, and Plunkett took the job back, then kept it through the playoffs and the Super Bowl victory over the Redskins in Tampa.

Wilson got the job back in 1985 when Plunkett was hurt, struggled while the team went 12-4, threw four interceptions in the playoff loss to the New England Patriots--the Raiders’ last postseason appearance--and was almost traded to the Philadelphia Eagles the next spring. Then-coach Tom Flores is said to have persuaded Davis to stay with Wilson.

However, Wilson finally surrendered the No. 1 job again to Plunkett in the ’86 season, at halftime of a game at Dallas. Plunkett finished that season, but with a right shoulder that required surgery.

When the Raiders came back out last season, it was behind Hilger. Hilger lasted five games before Davis, in the pressbox at Minnesota, ordered him pulled in Wilson’s favor. Wilson started and played decently the rest of the way. Before taking the Raider job, Shanahan, then a Denver assistant, told confidantes of his regard for Wilson and his belief they could put something together just by revamping the offense in a way to lessen the pressure on the quarterback.

However, Wilson, along with two other clients of agent Howard Slusher, Matt Millen and Mike Haynes, chose to pass up the mini-camp, and now his Raider career is history.

For the record, Wilson’s last appearance in silver and black came Dec. 27 in the 6-3 loss to the Bears at the Coliseum. He was 13 for 26 for 139 yards. He threw an interception and was sacked 8 times.