Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that reports that NFL officials are in no hurry to vote on the Raiders potentially relocating to Las Vegas, even though owner Mark Davis plans to file the paperwork in the coming months.
Davis is expected to try to get a formal vote on the matter in January, but La Canfora says that this is far from certain at this point in time.
Davis has made it clear that he plans to honor his commitment to Las Vegas, and has no interest in remaining in Oakland or joining the Rams in Los Angeles.
However, La Canfora says that the NFL still plans to explore several stadium options in the Bay Area. Beyond that, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is among those who would prefer to keep the team in the Oakland market, which has better business and corporate infrastructure.
Davis does have support from some other owners including Jerry Jones, but La Canfora says that others are still less convinced the move would be in the best interest of the NFL.
“I would expect the league to delay any vote for as long as possible,” one ownership source tells La Canfora. “Mark is adamant that they are gone, but the league isn’t in any rush to bring this to a head.”
According to La Canfora, Goodell could prove to be a pivotal figure in the future of the Raiders, as he could have the ability to swing the vote by a considerable amount.
“Even if this came to a vote early next year,” one source tells La Canfora. “I wouldn’t at all discount Roger’s ability to garner 9-12 votes against [a move] if he believes firmly that Oakland is in the best interest of the league.”
We’ll have more regarding the Raiders as the news is available.
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