ALAMEDA, Calif. – After five seasons, the Raiders and Donald Penn have mutually agreed to part ways.
Once a Raider, Always a Raider
"It is always hard to say goodbye to players that you respect and love both for their on-field efforts and the people that they are off the field," said Raiders Owner Mark Davis. "Donald Penn is another one of those great Raiders who have come into the organization and left an indelible mark on the franchise and the Raider Nation as a whole. He came to Oakland already with a deep passion for Raiders football and served as a leader and example for the team for five memorable seasons. Donald will always be a Raider and his presence will be missed by the entire Raiders Family. I wish the absolute best for Donald and his family."
"We're going to miss Donald Penn around here," said Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden. "I got to coach him as a young guy in Tampa and everything he got on the field, he earned. I was lucky enough to get him again here in Oakland. I'm going to miss the toughness and passion that he brought to the team every day. I certainly wish him and his family all the best."
"Thank you to Mark Davis and the entire Oakland Raiders organization for giving me an opportunity to play for you," said Penn. "It was an honor to play for you. Thank you to my Raiders teammates for always going to war and leaving it all on the field. It was an honor to play beside you.
"To Coach Gruden – thank you for always believing in me," added Penn. "From giving me my first start back in Tampa, it's incredible how things come full circle. I appreciate everything you've done for me."
Penn, who signed with the team as a free agent in 2014, started in each of his 66 appearances with the Silver and Black. He started his first 48 games with the Raiders from 2014-16, extending his personal streak of starts to a remarkable 170 games that stretched from 2007 until Week 16 of the 2017 season. In 2018, Penn started in four contests before being placed on the Reserve/Injured List on October 3.
The Inglewood, Calif., native earned two Pro Bowl selections (2016 and 2017) in five seasons with the Raiders and was named to the All-AFC Team by the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) in 2016.
Over his 13-year career, Penn has appeared in 178 contests and made 174 starts, including 112 games and 108 starts in his first eight NFL seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He entered the league with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2006 and made his NFL debut with the Buccaneers under head coach Jon Gruden in 2007.
Penn started 44 consecutive games at Utah State, serving as team captain and earning All-WAC honors as a senior in 2005.
