Gruden confident Raiders will resolve Mack holdout
Jon Gruden told Oakland Raiders fans Friday that one way or another, the franchise will woo its star pass-rusher back to the team.
"We're going to find a way to get Khalil Mack back," the head coach said at a fan appreciation event, according to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.
Mack, the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year, is expected to stay away from the Raiders while awaiting a new long-term contract. The 27-year-old is headed into the final season of his rookie deal.
While the Raiders would like to sign him long term, Gruden acknowledged the situation with Mack is complicated by Oakland's salary cap issues.
"That might be the toughest decision I have to figure out right now," he said. "We're not the only team that’s faced with that. It's tough. It's part of this business and we'll just keep our fingers crossed."
Mack posted 78 tackles and 10.5 sacks last year and has tallied double digits in sacks for three straight campaigns.