Las Vegas Raiders

Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis announced Thursday he has agreed to purchase the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces:

George Kliavkoff, MGM Resorts International's president of entertainment and sports, confirmed the sale, which still requires approval from the WNBA Board of Governors.

Davis moved the Raiders to Las Vegas in 2020 after the NFL team spent the previous 25 seasons in Oakland.

The Aces are also relatively new to the city, moving from San Antonio ahead of the 2018 season after being bought by MGM Resorts.

The Aces have become one of the top teams in the WNBA, leading the league with an 18-4 record last season. League MVP A'ja Wilson took the squad to the 2020 WNBA Finals, where it lost to the Seattle Storm.

Davis has been a regular at games as part of his immersion in the Las Vegas sports scene. As Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press noted (via Yahoo Sports), the Raiders purchased 1,600 tickets during the 2019 season to distribute to kids.

"The Aces are like the Raiders' sisters, and the [NHL's] Golden Knights are like our brothers," Davis said in 2018.

He is now set to control two professional teams in Las Vegas.

The Las Vegas Raiders announced Tuesday they hired Gus Bradley as their defensive coordinator.

Bradley will take over for Paul Guenther, who was fired following a 44-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 13. Bradley spent the past four seasons leading the Los Angeles Chargers defense.

The Chargers finished in the top 10 in yards allowed three times under his watch. This season, Los Angeles ranked 10th in total defense (343.4 yards) but 23rd in scoring defense (26.6 points). It had finished third, eighth and then 14th in the latter category in Bradley's first three seasons.

Bradley was also the Seattle Seahawks' defensive coordinator from 2009 to 2012, when Seattle built the NFL's most imposing unit. He parlayed that success into the Jacksonville Jaguars' head coaching job in 2013. But Bradley's spell in Jacksonville was a failure, as the Jaguars won 14 games over four years and he was fired with two games left in 2016.

One question surrounding Bradley is how well he can do without a talent-laden defense. The Seahawks were embarking on their Legion of Boom era at the end of his tenure, and the Chargers have had a pair of Pro Bowl pass-rushers in Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram III since 2016.

Sports Illustrated's Connor Orr listed cornerback, linebacker, pass-rusher and interior defensive line among the Raiders' positions of need this offseason. Las Vegas allowed 389.1 yards (25th) and 29.9 points (30th) per game, which isn't going to cut it in a division that includes Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert.

Hiring a coordinator as experienced as Bradley shows how much head coach Jon Gruden wants to improve on that side of the ball.

It could be an ominous sign, though, that the Raiders initially included a picture of former Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt in their announcement of Bradley's arrival.

Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs was charged with failure to exercise due care by the Clark County district attorney following a Jan. 4 car accident but not DUI. 

His lawyers released the following statement:

"The police investigation in the Josh Jacobs' case revealed that Mr. Jacobs' blood alcohol level was below the legal limit and therefore DUI charges are not being filed against him," Clark County DA Steve Wolfson said in a statement, per Paul Gutierrez of ESPN. "However, based on Mr. Jacobs' driving behavior, my office has filed a Criminal Complaint for one misdemeanor count of Duty of Driver to Decrease Speed Under Certain Circumstances."

Jacobs, 22, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, per Gutierrez. He was also treated at a hospital for minor injuries including a laceration on his forehead that required stitches. 

"We're just aware of it," head coach Jon Gruden said at the time of the accident. "I will say that Josh is OK and I'm not at liberty to comment on it until I get more facts. But we do have word that Josh is OK and we are looking into the matter."

Jacobs is a focal point of the Raiders offense, rushing for 1,065 yards and 12 touchdowns while catching 33 passes for 238 yards. It was his second straight season eclipsing the 1,000-yard rushing mark. 

Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs suffered a forehead wound in a single-car crash on Monday, according to the police report.

According to 8News in Nevada, Jacobs' car skidded 320 feet before crashing in a tunnel at Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport. The 22-year-old was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, and the police report noted he had a "large laceration" on his head, which was visible in his mugshot: 

Jacobs' blood alcohol level at the time of the incident has not been made public. He was transported to St. Rose Sienna Hospital for treatment after first responders arrived on the scene. 

Jacobs told officers he believed he fell asleep at the wheel before the crash. TMZ reported Jacobs passed a sobriety test the police administered after his injuries had been treated at hospital.

Police also noted Jacobs admitted to drinking earlier in the night, though attorneys for the tailback told TMZ they plan to enter a plea of not guilty if he is formally charged.  

The crash occurred at 4:42 a.m. following the Raiders' 32-31 season-finale victory at the Denver Broncos. 

Jacobs rushed 15 times for 89 yards and two touchdowns in the win. 

The first-round pick in the 2019 draft had 273 carries in 2020 for 1,065 yards and 12 touchdowns. 

"The Raiders are aware of the situation involving Josh Jacobs," the team said in a statement to ESPN. "The organization takes these matters seriously and we have no further comment at this time."

The NFL has not released any comment or publicly discussed potential discipline for Pro Bowler. 

Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs was arrested and charged with a DUI in Las Vegas early Monday morning, according to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.

Police reportedly responded to a single-car crash in the McCarran Airport connector tunnel at 4:42 a.m. local time, and Jacobs was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.

According to Kevin Bolinger of Fox 5, he was released from custody and has a court appearance set for March 8.

The crash occurred after the Raiders completed their season with a 32-31 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High. Jacobs rushed for 89 yards with two touchdowns to help the team finish 8-8.

The 2019 first-round pick finished the year with 1,065 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, his second straight season with at least 1,000 yards. His production was also enough to earn his first career Pro Bowl selection.

If found guilty, Jacobs could be facing a suspension from the NFL in 2021 for violating the league's policy on substances of abuse.