Kenyan Drake's two-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders appears to have ended prematurely.
The Raiders plan to release the veteran running back, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Monday, per a source informed of the situation.
Typically, when a team makes it known it plans to release a player, there's a last-ditch chance that team can negotiate a trade. Such a chance remains in this situation, but doesn't appear likely.
Drake joined the Raiders in 2021 on a two-year, $11 million deal, but he didn't live up to expectations, rushing 63 times for 254 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games (two starts). Josh Jacobs retained his role as the Raiders' lead back, receiving more than three times as many carries than Drake. Each averaged four yards per carry, but one is clearly valued more than the other, and the selection of rookie Zamir White in April crowded Las Vegas' running backs room.
Drake could certainly find work elsewhere. The speedy back carries value in both running and passing situations, and at 28 years old, he's still under the dreaded 30-year-old mark for running backs. That work just won't come in Las Vegas.
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