Update:
The San Francisco Giants have confirmed that they have had discussions with the Raiders about playing at AT&T Park for the 2019 season.
“There has been initial interest expressed in exploring the opportunity of the Raiders playing at AT&T Park,” the Giants said in a statement. “Many details would need to be figured out. The Giants want to do what’s best for Bay Area fans and would be open to the concept just as we hosted Cal Football in 2011 when Memorial Stadium in Berkeley was being renovated.”
Raj Mathai of NBC Bay Area reports that the Raiders and the San Francisco Giants are in talks regarding AT&T Park being available for the Raiders to play in next year.
A team source tells Mathai that the Raiders playing at AT&T Park for the 2019 season is a “distinct possibility.”
Last week, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported that the Raiders are “suddenly scrambling” to find a stadium to serve as their temporary home for the 2019 season after owner Mark Davis vowed he will leave Oakland following the lawsuit brought against the team.
However, league sources have told La Canfora that it’s not out of the question the Raiders play one more lame-duck season in Oakland, despite all that has transpired up to this point.
La Canfora says that Davis finds himself under a “significant time-crunch” to work out his locale for 2019 and sources said he will face “considerable backlash” from the NFL office if the matter is not resolved by the Super Bowl.
The NFL needs to have a location for all 32 teams in order to put together the full schedule for next season. Beyond that, La Canfora mentions that there are other issues such as marketing and sending out ticket invoices for games.
While the Raiders have reportedly investigated spots such as San Diego, La Canfora mentions that there’s a “strong sense” in the NFL office that keeping the team in the Bay Area makes the most sense for all parties involved.
La Canfora adds that some NFL executives believe the easiest solution would ultimately be for the Raiders to share Levi’s Stadium with the 49ers next year or use AT&T Park, where the San Francisco Giants play.
Either way, it’s clear the Raiders will be under pressure to get this sorted out as quickly as possible.
We’ll have more regarding the Raiders as the news is available.
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