The Las Vegas Raiders were supposed to open their inaugural season in the desert metropolis in front of 65,000 silver and black fans Sept. 12 against the New Orleans Saints.
Sadly, that’s not going to be the case. The $1.84 billion venue will be empty due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even then, the Raiders were excited on Friday to take part in their first practice at the venue right of the Vegas Strip.
It might not make up the canceled preseason or the lack of fans Week 1, but it’s still pretty cool.
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As you can see, Derek Carr led his team on to the field at the new venue. For a while this past spring, it was not a guarantee that the three-time Pro Bowler would join his former Oakland Raiders squad in their new city.
And while there might be a quarterback competition brewing in Sin City, he still seems to be the face of the franchise.
The Raiders’ relocation to Las Vegas became official early this year. Since then, the team has seen setback after setback. Initially, the 2020 NFL Draft was slated to be held in Vegas as a way for the league to welcome the Raiders to their new city. That obviously never came to fruition.
Add in the most-recent news surrounding fan attendance for the coming season, and that’s magnified further.
At the very least, the Raiders have this state-of-the-art venue to call their own. It’s much different than the Oakland Coliseum in Northern California. That’s for sure.