Oakland Raiders, Donald Penn Closing in on a Two-year Contract Extension
Looks like the Oakland Raiders kept their end of the bargain.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Raiders are closing in on a two-year extension with Donald Penn and they may complete the deal this week. The two-time Pro Bowl left tackle ended his holdout and returned to the team late last month as a sign of good faith before they began negotiating a contract extension.
He is set to make $5.8 million this season with $750,000 in incentives. Rapoport did not mention the potential financial terms of the deal, but he should earn a lot more under his new contract.
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Penn was one of the best offensive tackles in the National Football League (NFL) last year and he was named to his second Pro Bowl. The 11-year pro was a big reason why the Raiders yielded an impressive league-low 18 sacks on offense last season. Giving Penn a long-term extension should keep quarterback Derek Carr happy.
His age (34) is a concern, but the team is expected to compete for a Super Bowl title this season and over the next few years. They can't simply rely on a young untested offensive tackle.
"While projecting an offensive lineman's value at age 36 isn't easy, it might be a safer bet than trying to develop one coming out of college — especially when the team's Super Bowl window seems wide open. Week 1 was an obvious sign that younger offensive linemen are taking longer to adjust to the professional game (as was seen in struggles from Giants left tackle Ereck Flowers and rookie Garett Bolles in Denver among others) and Penn was one of the best tackles in the league last year," Conor Orr said in his column for NFL.com.
Penn wasn't at his best against the Tennessee Titans, but he will be ready to prove that he's worth his new contract when they take on the New York Jets this Sunday.
