ALAMEDA -- Left tackle Donald Penn missed Raiders training camp, two preseason games and a return to the team's practice facility while holding out for a new contract.
He still doesn't have one. Penn ended a 26-day holdout on Wednesday afternoon, returning in time to practice with his team for the first time since the offseason program. He returned on faith, believing the Raiders would work out a higher pay rate after he re-joined the club.
General manager Reggie McKenzie made it clear on July 31 that the Raiders wouldn't talk contract with a player who wasn't in camp. That stance never changed.
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Penn still wants a new deal. That hasn't changed, either.
The Pro Bowler out-performed the two-year, $11.9 million contract he signed during the 2016 offseason. Penn allowed just one sack and 28 total quarterback pressures last season, totals that ranked No. 6 among all NFL tackles. He wanted salary to reflect performance, with paychecks that put him in the top 10 offensive tackles. He is scheduled to receive a $5.8 million base salary in 2017, which ranks far below highest earners.
Penn doesn't need to play in either contest to prep for the season, and he has plenty of time to get ready for the Sept. 10 opener at Tennessee. Everything he does can be simulated in practice, though game intensity is tough to match. He should slide back in with the starting offensive line, allowing Mashall Newhouse from the left side to right tackle and wage a position battle there with Vadal Alexander.
NFL
Penn was formally added to the active roster late Wednesday afternoon. Defensive end Jimmy Bean was waived in a corresponding move.
