The 2020 season wasn’t a kind one to Cory Littleton. After joining the team in the offseason, the Raiders were hoping that they would be getting a Pro Bowl-level linebacker added to the middle of the defense. Unfortunately, Littleton had the worst year of his career in Paul Guenther’s defense.
The Raiders paid a ton in the offseason for Littleton and have yet to see much of a return on their investment. In a recent article by Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, Littleton was named the team’s most overpaid player heading into the 2021 season. Here is a snippet of Knox’s thoughts on Littleton’s contract:
“The guaranteed portion of Littleton’s contract makes it virtually impossible for the Raiders to move on. Littleton has $19.3 million remaining in dead money this season—compared to a $9.3 million cap hit—and will still have $10.6 million in dead money remaining next offseason.
With three years that automatically void following the 2022 season and dead money lasting through 2025, the Raiders will still be paying Littleton after his contract ends. Based on his 2020 performance, this was a massive overpay.”
The Raiders are hopeful that new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley will be a better fit with Littleton and his skill set. It should allow him to play in space more and have to think less on his feet.
The Raiders need Littleton to step up in a big way as they can’t really release him anytime soon. But if he does struggle, look for the Raiders to consider playing more of Nicholas Morrow in his place. Needless to say, it’s a big year for Littleton.
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