Chris Kluwe Joins Raiders

Chris Kluwe is heading to Oakland.

The outspoken NFL punter was released by the Minnesota Vikings earlier this month. The Raiders haven’t officially announced Kluwe’s signing yet but the gay rights advocate told Fox Sports that he was excited to be a Raider.

Kluwe, who has frequently drawn attention for making political statements on and off the field, said that he would continue to express his views while playing for his new team.

Kluwe said: “I’m excited to be an Oakland Raider and be playing in California. Now, my family can actually come to games. I’m still going to be myself socially and continue to tweet and interact with my fans.”

Some people questioned whether or not Kluwe’s views played a role in his release from the Vikings. The Minnesota team admitted that Kluwe’s outspoken opinions could be a distraction but said that Kluwe’s views had nothing to do with his dismissal.

Kluwe, 31, averaged 45 yards on 72 punts last year with the Vikings. He joined Minnesota in 2005 and is the team’s all-time leader for average yards per punt (44.4). He’s also second all-time for total punt yards in Vikings history.

Kluwe will be replacing Shane Lechler for the Oakland Raiders. Lechler left the team after 13 seasons to sign with the Houston Texans.