Contract holdouts in the NFL are not new as players eligible for new deals sometimes opt to miss parts of training camp and preseason action in hopes of securing more long-term money. Players like Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell and Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald are two of the most prominent names still holding out and there is still uncertainty regarding their contract situations.
For the Oakland Raiders, they were fortunate enough to sign quarterback Derek Carr and offensive lineman Gabe Jackson to long-term extensions, but found themselves in a holdout situation with offensive tackle Donald Penn. Fortunately for the Raiders, Penn returned to the team and according to Jerry McDonald of Mercury News he revealed his reason for ending his holdout:
I came back for my teammates and my coaches,” Penn said. “We’ve got a good thing going. I knew in Week 3 I needed to get myself ready for Week 1. That was in my head. I’m going to be the best Donald Penn on Sunday for my teammates. That’s why I made the decision to come back.”
Having Penn back in the fold for Oakland is good news as he has proven to be one of the most reliable left tackles in the league. The Pro Bowler added that he has faith in the Raiders front office to sort out the situation and is happy to be back with the team.
Penn saw limited action in their Week 3 preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys in which the Raiders lost. However, it was encouraging to see the veteran tackle on the offensive line and should see more reps in their final preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks.
