So San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arden Key spoke to the media recently. Why are we discussing a non-Las Vegas Raiders press conference? Well, he had some choice words about his former team.
What did Key say about the Raiders?
Key described his time with the Raiders as “bad,” and said that he “wanted to get out of there.“
You can see the entirety of what he said here, via 49ers beat writer Jennifer Lee Chan’s Twitter.
#49ers DE Arden Key did not hold back when talking about how he did not enjoy his time with the #Raiders pic.twitter.com/JNioyaZWf9
— Jennifer Lee Chan (@jenniferleechan) August 8, 2021
“I definitely wanted to get out of there… I was more happy than surprised…But hey, I got what I wanted… It was just bad all around for me… Bad system-it just wasn’t the right fit for me.”
Really?
Look, I get that Key is far from the first player to complain about how things have been going within the Raiders organization the past few years. This is especially true when it comes to Paul Guenther’s system. That being said, anyone that watched Key knows that his problems go far beyond any system or fit.
The system has nothing to do with missed tackles that resulted in horrific penalties, accidentally kicking quarterbacks in the face while simultaneously allowing them to throw game-winning touchdown passes. Can you really blame a bad fit for not being able to stand out on arguably worst pass-rushing team in the league the past three seasons.
The thing that’s most astonishing about Key’s comments is the fact that he seems blissfully unaware of the gravity of his situation: He is a former Day 2 pick on his second team in his first four years in the league after being cut. Most guys in his situation will be hard pressed to get a third chance. Also, he won’t be able to make a 49ers team with a loaded defensive line by default like he did with the Raiders.
Bottom Line
At the end of the day, maybe Key is right and the Raiders were holding him back from greatness. However, he sounds more like someone who refuses to acknowledge his own shortcomings. He, better hope it’s the former, because the latter could see him out of the league by September.
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*Top Photo: Chris Booker/Las Vegas Review-Journal
