Details On Nelson Agholor’s Reported Locker Room Outburst With The Las Vegas Raiders
Soon-to-be free agent Nelson Agaholor was vocal about his displeasure with how the Raiders season came to an end after allowing the Miami Dolphins to score three times in the final four minutes of the game eliminating Las Vegas from playoff contention. According to Vic Tafur with the Athletic, Agholor called out his Raiders teammates in a wild post-game locker-room outburst last month.
With the former USC star set to test free agency coming off of a career year, let’s dive into the details of what we know and how this can affect his stock in free agency this spring.
According to Tafur, following the week 16 loss, Agholor addressed his teammates in the locker room before coach Jon Gruden had a chance to speak and told them they were selfish and that "they sucked." Teammates described the sixth year pro as “pissed.”
Tafur detailed what occurred in an empty Allegiant Stadium after the dissapointing defeat:
"Agholor, according to those in the room, said his teammates were selfish and didn't work hard enough, and that they had quit against the Dolphins as well as in the previous two losses. He said there was no accountability in the locker room, and on winning teams players play for one another and the coaches. The Raiders' performance over the previous six games was unacceptable, and too many people within the team were just flat-out accepting it. Agholor told his teammates that they sucked."
Per, Vic Tafur, following Agholor’s outburst, no one said a word after he spoke, including Gruden. Tafur said he asked Gruden about the incident Thursday night, and Gruden texted him back saying, "I love Agholor."
Agholor signed a 1-year contract worth the league minimum last offseason with the Raiders. He was the most targeted outside receiver, as quarterback Derek Carr threw his way 82 times in 2020. He caught 48 passes for a career-high 896 yards and eight touchdowns for Las Vegas.
Gruden’s squad got off to a quick start in their new home of Vegas, going 6-3 in the teams first nine games. Then the Silver and Black fell apart, losing five out of six, eventually finishing the season with an 8-8 record, and getting eliminated from playoff contention after blowing the lead during the crazy Saturday night game. Agholor's frustration with the recent play of the team must've been the last straw for the receiver.
Now entering free agency for the second straight year, teams that may have considered signing the veteran will definitely look into the incident closely. However, teams might not mind this incident, as Agholor could be seen as holding his team accountable.
After all, he did score one of the late go-ahead touchdowns in the game. Especially with Tafur recently writing about how Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock have lacked leadership and accountability.
The market for Agholor was not great in 2020, but after showing great speed and big-play ability, that could change. According to Sports Illustrated's Hondo Carpenter earlier this month, sources rumored the Raiders to offer Agholor a 2-year, $15 million contract this offseason. After all, Gruden did say he loves the receiver even after the incident was reported on by the media.
Agholor built a strong deep-ball connection with franchise QB Derek Carr, and finished the regular season ranked second in yards per catch. The Raiders already have thin depth at receiver, and Agholor has fit in well with their offensive scheme.
The outbreak by Agholor in December may just have been due to his high emotions after a difficult loss. Nonetheless, expect there to still be a market for the speedy former USC Trojan.
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