According to league sources, the Las Vegas Raiders and safety Isaiah Pola-Mao have agreed to terms on a two-year extension worth up to $8.45 million. The former USC Trojan will remain in Las Vegas now with former USC Trojans coach Pete Carroll in his first season as the head coach of the Raiders. As free agency and the draft approaches, signings of priority players will continue to ramp up.
Pola-Mao is the nephew of former USC Trojan two-time All-American, eight-time Pro Bowler, six-time All-Pro, Defensive Player of the Year, two-time Super Bowl champion, and NFL Hall of Famer of the Pittsburgh Steelers, safety Troy Polamalu. Both Pola-Mao and Polamalu were All-Conference selections and team captains at USC.
Former Las Vegas Raiders assistant coach and current USC Trojans linebacker coach Rob Ryan told the press they “better watch out” for Pola-Mao this offseason during an interview session, and he was spot on. Pola-Mao had a career-best season, totaling 85 tackles, six pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and 14 starts for the Raiders defensive unit.
"Same thing that happened his rookie year when he got a chance to get in there, he makes plays," said former Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham this past season. "So that comes from his diligent work, started off with him learning how to play in this league on special teams, correcting some of the stuff we saw from college that he needed to get corrected, his tackling. He's done a good job with that. And then when he gets his opportunities, he makes the most of it.”
For his fantastic game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Pola-Mao won AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors in Week 16 after recording 11 total tackles and forcing two fumbles. According to Raiders PR, he became only the seventh safety in Raiders history to win the award. As the Raiders continue to rebuild toward the future, securing a player with Pola-Mao’s upside for an affordable price is a great move.
Pola-Mao is a native of Phoenix, Arizona, and he played four seasons at USC. He appeared in 32 games with 29 starts and totaled 178 tackles (129 solo), nine tackles for loss, five interceptions, four fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble. He was named to the All-Pac-12 second team by the Associated Press and the All-Pac-12 third team by Pro Football Focus.
At 6-4, 205 pounds, Pola-Mao has a unique frame for a defensive back. His range, length, and instincts are a major part of his game and one of the reasons he can be such a playmaker in open space. At just 25 years old, there’s still plenty of room for growth for a player like Pola-Mao, and the Raiders are counting on another leap. If that happens, the former Trojan could have his forever home in Las Vegas.
