Raiders players on Thursday voted to skip the in-person phase of the club’s voluntary offseason program in favor of a repeat of last year’s all virtual OTA’s.
Players cited ongoing concerns over COVID-19 for the outcome of the vote, which came after players spent the last two days contemplating their position and whether to join the New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos in skipping the OTA’s.
The union and the four other teams also cited ongoing concerns over COVID-19 for their decisions to opt-out of one of the most important parts of the offseason program, although there is a sense in NFL circles that just as big a factor is the NFL’s recent decision to expand the regular-season schedule from 16 to 17 games.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.