NFL Owners Becoming Less Opposed To Raiders Relocating To Las Vegas?

Multiple sources around the NFL have told Jason Cole of B/R that more and more owners are becoming less opposed about the idea of the Raiders relocating to Las Vegas if this is really the best long-term option for the franchise.

Cole mentions that allowing the Raiders to move to Las Vegas would keep them out of the Los Angeles market, which has previously been a concern from some NFL owners.

According to Cole, there is still some concern about the long-term viability of Las Vegas and whether they alone can support an NFL franchise. Team owner Mark Davis reportedly believes fans will travel to Las Vegas for games, but the concern remains.

Over the weekend, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that while several teams including the Giants and Steelers would definitely be against the Raiders relocating to Las Vegas, there are still enough “new-school” owners who wouldn’t take issue with gambling being legal in Las Vegas.

Florio points out that the NFL already hosts multiple games per year in London, where betting is accepted and easily accessible.

It’s worth mentioning that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell did not rule out the possibility of the Raiders ending up in Las Vegas when asked about idea at the owners meetings a few weeks ago.

Davis took another visit to Las Vegas last week to meet with officials regarding the UNLV stadium project.

The fact that Davis is meeting with prospective cities and stadium backers shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, considering the lack of meaningful progress that the has made towards a new stadium in Oakland.

Some owners reportedly believe that remaining in Oakland is ultimately where the belongs. However, it’s worth mentioning that the Raiders have the option to join the Rams in Los Angeles if the Chargers back out of their current agreement and get a new stadium built in San Diego.

We’ll have more updates regarding the Raiders’ future as the news is available.