Khalil Mack is currently in a stand-off with the Oakland Raiders’ front office over his contract, and it seems as though he is freezing out his new head coach in the meantime.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Mack and Jon Gruden have not spoken once since Gruden was hired as Oakland’s new head coach back in January.
Interesting fact of day: Jon Gruden and Oakland DE Khalil Mack have not spoken once since the Raiders hired their new head coach in January. No contact between two men who should be vital this season for the Raiders.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 26, 2018
Mack is a former Defensive Player of the Year and clearly the Raiders’ best defensive player, so it’s a bit unsettling that he has not established any type of relationship with the team’s new coach. That could just be Mack’s way of playing hardball, or he may feel as though Gruden could influence him getting a long-term extension.
While he’s scheduled to make around $14 million in the final year of his rookie contract this season, Mack wants long-term security. It makes sense that the negotiations aren’t progressing all that quickly given the amount of money Mack is expected to demand.
