Report: Raiders close to finalizing deal to play 2019 season in Oakland with option for 2020

Reports have been gaining traction over the past week or so that the Raiders and the city of Oakland had opened talks on a new contract that would keep the Raiders in Oakland for the 2019 season.

The latest has the Raiders close to completing a deal that would allow the Oakland Coliseum to continue to be the temporary home of the Raiders for the 2019 and possibly 2020 season should the team’s Las Vegas stadium not be completed in time. This according to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle. An announcement is expected as early as next week.

The proposed deal is rumored to be for $7.5 million in 2019, and should the Raiders need to stay in 2020, the rent would rise to $10.5 million.

Mark Davis had backed out of a one-year lease deal in December when the City of Oakland decided to sue the team. After exhausting other potential options, staying put turned out to be the way to go.

Editor’s note: Levi Damien contributed to this article.