During the 2012 regular season, punter Chris Kluwe showed support for former Raiders punter Ray Guy. Now, the Raiders are giving Kluwe a chance to join Guy’s line of successors.
The Raiders announced on Friday that Kluwe has joined the team. According to Paul Gutierrez of CSNBayArea.com, the Raiders waived punter Bobby Cowan to create a roster spot for Kluwe.
An eight-year veteran, Kluwe was cut last week by the Vikings after the team drafted punter Jeff Locke in the fifth round of the 2013 draft.
The move brings Kluwe back to his home state of California, with a team that can’t say it didn’t know that Kluwe has plenty of non-football interests, including strong support for gay rights. He’ll now be employed in the state that spawned the current Supreme Court case regarding the constitutionality of bans on same-sex marriage.
Kluwe and Marquette King likely will compete for the chance to replace Shane Lechler, a 2000 draft pick who signed earlier this year with the Texans. The terms of Kluwe’s contract, which currently aren’t disclosed, will go a long way toward indicating whether Kluwe has, yes, a leg up.