The Oakland Raider just recently released veteran offensive tackle Austin Howard early Friday morning. Maybe the team knew something else was in the cards with another offensive lineman heading into camp.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that star left tackle Donald Penn will not report to training camp in hopes of receiving a new contract.
Uh oh: #Raiders standout LT Donald Penn is not reporting for training camp, source said. He's unhappy with his contract.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 28, 2017
Penn, 34, is a key cog on a Raiders offensive line that allowed Derek Carr to go down just 16 times a season ago. The veteran has started all 16 games in each of the past nine seasons, dating back to his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’s also coming off his first career Pro Bowl appearance.
Penn is currently entering the final season of a two-year, $11.9 million deal he signed prior to the 2016 campaign. Based on what we saw from him last season, he’s vastly underpaid in the grand scheme of things.
As one of the top Super Bowl contenders in the AFC, Oakland needs Penn in the mix. It just gave Carr the richest contract in the history of the NFL. And for his part, Carr is coming off a season-ending injury.
Needless to say, this is something to keep an eye on over the next several days.