Bruce Irvin has a profane reaction to the news that Khalil Mack will be traded

As Raiders fans wake up to the news that defensive end Khalil Mack will be traded to the Bears, they’re not going to be happy. As Raiders players wake up to the news that defensive end Khalil Mack will be traded to the Bears, they’re not happy, either.

“ No f–king way ,” linebacker Bruce Irvin said on Twitter.

And in those three words lies the challenge the Raiders will now face in selling the decision to send the team’s best player elsewhere, simply because the Raiders wouldn’t or couldn’t give Mack the long-term deal he has earned.

Make no mistake about it. Coach Jon Gruden will have his work cut out for him as the team’s first regular season game approaches. And he ultimately may have to trade or release some of the guys who will never be able to accept that the team’s brightest star had to go elsewhere to get paid.

Isn’t that the message that’s being sent to the rest of them? No matter what you do while wearing silver and black, your financial reward may have to wait until you are wearing different colors.

Plenty of those players may be instantly craving the opportunity to wear different colors.