Raiders will reportedly release C Hudson
Anchor on offensive line signed $33M extension in 2020
Rodney Hudson, the rock in the middle of the Raiders offensive line since he arrived in free agency in 2015, will be released as part of a makeover of the offensive line.
The news was first reported Tuesday by NFL Media.
The move had nothing to do with salary cap relief either, as the Raiders will take a cap hit of more than $15 million when keeping him would have counted $13.6 million against the cap as one of the NFL’s highest paid centers.
The Raiders were committed enough to Hudson to sign him to a three-year extension worth up to $33.75 million in August of 2019 and then restructured the deal — something that’s usually done with players thought to be secure — in March of 2020.
Hudson’s impending exit leaves left tackle Kolton Miller as the lone remaining piece of a unit that was considered to be one of the best in the NFL in the first half of last season. Since the end of 2020, the Raiders have released left guard Richie Incognito, are prepared to release right guard Gabe Jackson and are trading left tackle Trent Brown to the New England Patriots.
The backup for Hudson is Andre James, who made the Raiders as an undrafted free agent out of UCLA in 2019 and didn’t play a single snap on offense in 2020.
Hudson, entering his 11th season, was a Pro Bowl selection three times in his six seasons with the Raiders. He missed only three games during that span and in four of six seasons played every snap.
Following the season, Hudson won the “Commitment to Excellence Award” as voted by his teammates for an unprecedented fourth straight season, an honor which represents “hard work, leadership and excellence on and off the field.”
If there were any whispers about a decline in Hudson’s play in 2020, they were well hidden. The year coach Jon Gruden arrived in 2018, he said of Hudson, “The thing I love about Hudson is when we throw a pass, he runs down to cover, he runs down to see if the receiver needs any help every play. He’s the best center that I’ve coached.”