Raiders, Jon Gruden to open 2018 vs. Rams on ‘Monday Night Football’
OAKLAND, Calif. — Jon Gruden will start this season where he ended the last one.
On ESPN.
The Raiders will open the 2018 regular season with a Sept. 10 “Monday Night Football” game against the Los Angeles Rams, the NFL announced Thursday. The 7:20 p.m. home matchup is the second half of a prime-time doubleheader.
Gruden spent several seasons as an ESPN broadcaster before signing a 10-year contract with the Raiders in January. Their opener is one of four prime-time games on the team’s schedule. All are in the Bay Area.
The others are a Week 9 “Thursday Night Football” game at the San Francisco 49ers on Nov. 1, a Week 14 “Sunday Night Football” home meeting with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 9, and a Week 16 “Monday Night Football” home game versus the Denver Broncos on Christmas Eve.
As previously announced, the Raiders will travel to London for an Oct. 14 game against the Seattle Seahawks. Some teams request an East Coast game before a London trip to reduce travel. It was Gruden’s preference to spend more time at home, hence an Oct. 7 road game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The regular season concludes in Kansas City versus the Chiefs on Dec. 30.
Dates and times were finalized Thursday for the Raiders’ exhibition schedule, too. They will host the Detroit Lions at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 10, travel to face the Rams at 1 p.m. on Aug. 18, host the Green Bay Packers at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 24 and finish in Seattle against the Seahawks on Aug. 30 at 7 p.m.
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Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.
