A potential "one-year Raiders' layover" at Oracle Park is "not dead and could hinge largely on questions of territorial rights and unusual scheduling," according to a source cited by Matt Kawahara of the S.F. CHRONICLE. It has been "reported that an agreement would require the approval of the NFL and for the 49ers to waive their territorial rights" in S.F. NFL Network on Tuesday reported that the 49ers were "not expected to waive territorial rights," but the team has "not stated this." A source said that the 49ers, who have played at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara since '14, "may not have territorial rights" to S.F. The source also said that scheduling would be a "key factor in the Raiders sharing Oracle Park next season." Among the possible conditions are the Raiders playing "no exhibition games or September home games at Oracle and scheduling divisional games in October in case the Giants make the playoffs and require the Raiders to swap home dates." The ideas is that the Giants would "want to avoid any scenario in which they play on a field that has been affected by football." S.F. Mayor London Breed earlier this week said she prefers the Raiders not play in her city next year (S.F. CHRONICLE, 2/7).
WORKING IT OUT THEMSELVES: Raiders Owner Mark Davis said that the team is "internally handling the task to identify the location of home games next season." Davis: "The hope is to remain in the Bay Area next season until we move to Las Vegas in 2020." In Las Vegas, Michael Gehlken notes in addition to Oracle Park, other options mentioned in the media include Levi's Stadium, a return to Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum and "cities as distant as London." Davis said the Raiders "haven't been the ones talking at all." Davis: "Others have been talking for us and in some cases against us. I know the (league) would like this decided within a few weeks, and we certainly don't want to be the ones that would cause a delay in scheduling" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 2/7).
PRIDE & PREJUDICE: ESPN's Field Yates noted the "opportunity to return to Oakland is still on the table," though it "might be a little bit awkward given that they kind of had their parting of ways at the end.” Yates: “The Raiders are nomads for the moment.” ESPN's Wendi Nix said, “Somebody is going to have to swallow their pride” (“NFL Live,” ESPN, 2/6). The AP's Tim Dahlberg writes Davis should "apologize to Oakland politicians for stealing their team, swallow his pride, and pay whatever ransom is needed to finish off one last season there" (AP, 2/7).
