The comings and goings of the Bay Area’s NFL teams could become an Abbott and Costello routine.
The San Francisco 49ers currently play not in San Francisco but in Santa Clara, and the Oakland Raiders soon will play not in Oakland but in Las Vegas, but before they move to Las Vegas they could be leaving Oakland and playing in . . . San Francisco.
Raj Mathai of NBC Bay Area reports that the Raiders are in talks with the San Francisco Giants about the possibility of playing at AT&T Park in 2019. A team source tells Mathai that it’s a “distinct possibility.”
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports, citing unnamed sources, that the Raiders can’t unilaterally move their, because San Francisco falls within the San Francisco 49ers’ territorial market. Which means that the 49ers could try to block the move. Which means that the NFL ultimately could say to the 49ers, “The Raiders play there or at Levi’s Stadium. You choose.”
However it plays out, the Raiders need a place to play in 2019. With Oakland suing the Raiders and the league, Oakland could be off the table. And the best way to stick it to Oakland could be to play in San Francisco.