The Las Vegas Raiders have had a dark cloud hanging over the building since the onset of the 2025 NFL season. Just days before the campaign began, star wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, who set career-highs in both receptions and receiving yards last season, requested a trade.
This was the culmination of a longstanding contractual dispute between Meyers and the team, as the new leadership tandem of John Spytek and Pete Carroll did not seem keen on giving him an extension during the last year of his contract.
Meyers has been a true pro's pro, participating in every practice and game, barring injury, since the spat became public. But in another wasted Raiders campaign, all eyes are on Las Vegas to be trading away valuable assets like Meyers in order to start building for the future.
Jakobi Meyers maintains his desire for Raiders to trade him
Following the Raiders' 31-0 blowout loss against the Kansas City Chiefs, a game in which Meyers did not play due to injury, reporters caught up with the star wide receiver at Tuesday's practice. When asked if he still wanted to be traded, Meyers had a candid response.
"Oh, for sure," Meyers said. "But I'm a professional at the end of the day. I'm just trying to play good football. ... I'm just focused on being where my feet are."
While this may not be what Raider Nation wants to hear, it reaffirms what they already knew: Meyers is not one to bash the team publicly or let his personal gripes with the organization affect his teammates, but he wants out of Las Vegas.
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In the same media availability, Meyers was asked if he even wanted a new deal with the Raiders at this point.
"If it gets done, I don't care, for real," Meyers said. "I really just want to be in a good spot for me [and] my family."
It may be difficult for the fan base to hear, but this is brutal honesty, straight from the horse's mouth. This is also the ugly side of the NFL, when a good player wants to play for a team, but the franchise does not oblige with his contractual demands.
These words from Meyers are not necessarily news for Raider Nation, but just a painful update that nothing has changed. Meyers and Las Vegas are clearly heading toward a split, and the fan base is just hoping, at this point, that the team gets some good draft compensation out of the inevitable deal.