SAN FRANCISCO — Giants executives spent this week focused on Bryce Harper, but they haven’t taken their eyes off another concept that has made headlines in recent days.
A potential stadium deal with the Raiders is not dead, a source familiar with discussions told NBC Sports Bay Area on Wednesday, despite multiple reports from NFL reporters. The Giants and Raiders still believe it's possible to reach a deal that will have the Raiders playing seven home games at Oracle Park this fall, and they already have ironed out many of the details.
Multiple concerns have been raised in recent days, including the fact that the MLB and NFL seasons coincide. But that wouldn't be an issue for the Giants, who have hosted multiple football games over the years.
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The Raiders’ schedule would be set in such a way that they wouldn't have a home game at Oracle Park in September, and they could be flexible if the Giants reach the playoffs. In that case, the Raiders would swap the sites of divisional games, playing more games on the road in October and then hosting divisional games later in the season.
The sides have found resistance from multiple parties this week. San Francisco mayor London Breed came out against the idea Tuesday, in part citing traffic and logistical concerns.
This wouldn't seem to be a dealbreaker for an organization that hopes to host its own games in October anyway and regularly rents out Oracle Park throughout the offseason. Any Raiders games wouldn't bring an overwhelming number of fans into the area, as Oracle Park only can host a little over 40,000, regardless of the sporting event.
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Another issue has been the fact that the 49ers are said to host territorial rights that they will not waive. But as the sides have continued to negotiate, they have done so with the belief that the NFL office and commissioner Roger Goodell, not the 49ers, ultimately will make that decision.
Thus far, the Giants and Raiders haven't been told that territorial rights would get in the way, and they continue to discuss the possibility of the Raiders playing seven games in San Francisco next season.