Buckle up, Winnipeg, Jon Gruden and the Raiders are coming to town.
It was reported in March that the Raiders were looking to play one of their four preseason games in Canada and now it appears they have found a site for that game.
The Raiders will play the Green Bay Packers in Winnipeg for their third preseason game, Jeff Hamilton of the Winnipeg Free Press reported Friday.
The Raiders have been honed on this neutral site for their third preseason game, technically a home exhibition. https://t.co/LzNhuV1Pwm— Scott Bair (@BairNBCS) May 24, 2019
The Raiders have been looking to move one of their preseason games for some time, to mitigate some of the increased rent from their 2019 lease with Oakland Coliseum, and have honed on playing north of the border. The rent amount will decrease with a game off the schedule, a clause that was written into a new lease agreement with a revenue that is expected to host the Raiders one more season before the team is scheduled to relocate to Las Vegas in 2020.
It makes sense to play the Green Bay Packers in Canada, considering their close proximity to the country.
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The Raiders originally looked at Regina's Mosaic Stadium, home of the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders. That deal proved difficult, and the Raiders moved on to other Canadian options. Winnipeg was the best fit, and a formal deal seems to be in the cards.
The Raiders or Packers have not made a formal announcement, despite being less than three months from the game.
Oakland began Phase Three of its offseason program Tuesday when organized team activities began in Alameda.
[RELATED: Undrafted rookie WR drawing rave reviews from Gruden, Carr]
Derek Carr vs. Aaron Rodgers in a "dress rehearsal game" isn't bad NFL treat for the fine folks of Winnipeg. Enjoy.
