NFL Rumors: Latest Buzz on Raiders' Future, Mike McCarthy and More

The Oakland Raiders made sure that if Monday night's game against the Denver Broncos was their last in Oakland, fans got to see them off with a win. The question now becomes whether fans will again see their beloved Silver and Black in the city next season.

The Raiders aren't scheduled to move into their new Las Vegas home until 2020. However, the City of Oakland has sued the Raiders and the NFL for breach of contract and for violating anti-trust laws.

This may represent the point of no return between the city and the Raiders, although owner Mark Davis has made it clear he'd prefer to play out the final season in the franchise's longtime home.

"I absolutely want to play in Oakland," Davis said, per Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. "We have a completed lease sitting with the city council, that all they have to do is agree to it and we're here next year."

If the city won't agree, Davis is also comfortable spending a year elsewhere before permanent relocation.

"If in fact it does get ugly, and can't be bridged, we do have options," he said.

The London Raiders?

Having NFL games in London is nothing new. The New York Giants and Miami Dolphins kicked off the NFL International Series in 2007.

Games have been played at Wembley Stadium and Twickenham Stadium in the English capital, and the series has seen matchups in Mexico City as well.

Davis' franchise is already scheduled to play one International Series game in 2019, but there's a chance the play more than that. Fox Sports' Jay Glazer has reported that the Raiders are at least discussing playing all home games in London next season.

This could be a fun development for international fans—there is a global fanbase, to be sure—but it would be rough on Oakland fans. Making the trip overseas would be much more difficult than, say, traveling to Los Angeles or Santa Clara.

For that matter, weekend trips to see the Raiders play in Vegas will be realistic, if wildly inconvenient.

If Davis does want to have a London season, it appears he'll have to jump some hurdles. According to CBS Sports' NFL insider Jason La Canfora, playing multiple games in London is not currently a possibility.

The San Francisco Raiders?

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

If London isn't an option, perhaps San Francisco could be.

The San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball have discussed the possibility of letting the Raiders play their home games at AT&T Park.

"There has been initial interest expressed in exploring the opportunity of the Raiders playing at AT&T Park," the Giants said in a statement, per Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area. "Many details would need to be figured out. The Giants want to do what's best for Bay Area fans and would be open to the concept just as we hosted Cal Football in 2011 when Memorial Stadium in Berkeley was being renovated."

Fans would have a much shorter commute going across the bay instead of across the pond. Of course, the irony is that San Francisco 49ers fans would still be traveling more than 40 miles to see their team play in Santa Clara.

The Browns and Mike McCarthy

Cleveland Browns fans know what it is like to have their franchise ripped away. That's what happened when the Browns became the Baltimore Ravens in 1996. The new Browns returned in 1999, and that franchise has been searching for long-term answers at both quarterback and head coach ever since.

It appears Baker Mayfield is going to be the answer at quarterback. The search for a head coach picked back up midseason when Cleveland fired Hue Jackson—though Gregg Williams and offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens have been terrific.

Mike Jones of USA Today believes fired Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy is the guy for the job. McCarthy and Browns general manager John Dorsey spent time together in Green Bay.

Jones recently wrote the following:

"People familiar with Dorsey's thinking, speaking to USA Today Sports on the condition of anonymity because the team has not interviewed any candidates yet, believe that McCarthy is the GM's top choice for the job if he gets to make the call. A year ago, when he joined Cleveland's staff, Dorsey wanted to replace Jackson, but was told to give him another year. That makes it hard to determine just how much latitude the general manager will have this time around."

This rumor has to be taken with the proverbial grain of salt—being familiar with one's thought process can be much different than having facts—but the connection between Dorsey and McCarthy is a real one.

Peter King of Pro Football Talk links McCarthy instead with the Arizona Cardinals. He has heard the former Packers coach likes Arizona and would be interested "in exploring" the head coaching job.

What About Harbaugh?

Right now, Jim Harbaugh is the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines. There's nothing to indicate he's going to jump back into the NFL, though Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported the New York Jets are likely to present an offer.

The Jets have denied the rumor.

This, of course, doesn't mean Florio's report is inaccurate. The Jets may have already tried to get Harbaugh and been turned down. They may also simply want Todd Bowles to be able to focus on coaching out the season.

Either way, Florio stands pretty firmly behind the idea that the Jets are interested.