Raiders welcome fans to Allegiant Stadium for practice

It was a tiny measurement toward a overmuch bigger destination.

For the archetypal clip since the Raiders moved to Las Vegas, they were capable to stock Allegiant Stadium with fans successful the stands.

It was conscionable a grooming campy practice, but seeing their supporters successful the stands Sunday was heartening.

“That was truly large seeing the Raiders fans back, successful this stadium for the archetypal time,” manager Jon Gruden said. “It was truly chill and truly breathtaking for maine and each of my players. We convey everyone for coming out. I anticipation they had a bully time.”

It gave the Raiders a sensation of what’s to travel erstwhile a afloat location visits for Saturday’s accumulation crippled against the Seattle Seahawks.

“It’s conscionable different crushed wherefore we bash it,” linebacker Cory Littleton said. “We person a large instrumentality basal down us, to enactment us. And conscionable to consciousness that this year, it’s going to beryllium special.”

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Raiders spent their archetypal play successful Las Vegas playing to an bare stadium. To spot faces successful the seats was a acold outcry from past year’s atmosphere.

“It won’t consciousness similar signifier anymore,” Littleton said.

Players interacted with fans arsenic overmuch arsenic existent NFL protocol allows. Quarterback Derek Carr mingled with immoderate down the Raiders’ bench, and information Jonathan Abram signed autographs portion taking a interruption from idiosyncratic drills.

After practice, players circled the little vessel thanking those who showed up.

The Raiders didn’t denote an attendance, but a squad spokesperson estimated a assemblage of 20,000 attended. Only play summons holders were invited.

They were treated to a signifier that included plentifulness of 11-on-11 matchups, Derek Carr led the first-team discourtesy against the first-team defense.

Many players enjoyed the antithetic ambiance with fans connected manus arsenic good arsenic a accidental to debar the blistering vigor of outdoor practices astatine their Henderson signifier facility.

“The stadium is simply a precise beauteous venue,” said wide receiver Willie Snead, who signed with the Raiders successful the offseason. “I tin lone ideate what it’s going to look similar full.

“But the fans were awesome today. And conscionable going astir astatine the end, shaking everybody’s hands, I was like, these radical are crazy. And it’s awesome to spot that.”

For the holdovers from past year, it enactment them face-to-face for the archetypal clip with their caller instrumentality basal successful Las Vegas.

“Raider Nation and Raiders fans are special, and to person them successful Allegiant Stadium for the archetypal clip was precise good,” Gruden said.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore astatine vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore onTwitter.