The Las Vegas Raiders are gearing up for free agency but are getting ahead of some moves. One of the most intriguing players to emerge from last season was safety Isaiah Pola-Mao.
He was more of a depth piece and special teams player in recent seasons but injuries thrust him into a starting position in 2024. He clearly impressed the Raiders as the team announced on Monday that they’ve signed him to a new contract ahead of free agency.
Pola-Mao was a restricted free agent so the Raiders had the advantage when trying to keep him but they’ve given him a good contract. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Pola-Mao is getting a two-year contract worth $8.45 million.
That’s a really good contract for somebody who came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2022. That’s almost certainly starter money. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham likely pushed for this move as he’s one of the few coaches returning from last year’s staff.
Pola-Mao didn’t put up a bunch of flashy numbers last season but he did have 89 combined tackles. He was also named AFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 16 for having two forced fumbles and 11 combined tackles against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Pola-Mao is 6-foot-4 and runs a 4.51 40-yard dash. He’s an athletic marvel and if he keeps improving his skill, he may have a long career ahead of him in the NFL.
Does This Mean Tre’von Moehrig or Marcus Epps Are Gone?
The Raiders are paying Pola-Mao to be a starter. $8.45 million over two years is pretty rich for a safety if they aren’t going to start. Week 1 starters Tre’von Moehrig and Marcus Epps are both free agents this offseason.
The Pola-Mao signing means that at least one of them will almost certainly play elsewhere in 2025. Epps makes the most sense to let walk. While he’s a very strong leader and beloved in the locker room, he struggled last season before a torn ACL knocked him out for the year.
Moehrig has emerged as one of the best young safeties in the NFL but he’s set for a major payday. If he’s willing to give the Raiders a hometown discount, they’d likely be happy to have him back. He’s a high-level player who should be an expert in Graham’s defense now.
Moehrig Could Be ‘Misvalued’
Moehrig is a difficult player to get a good evaluation on. While he’s arguably the best free agent safety, teams don’t typically hand a ton of money to safeties. Kevin Patra of NFL.com believes that Moehrig is one of the players who will be “misvalued” this offseason.
“This could be a swing-and-miss on my part, as Moehrig might have a stronger market than I anticipate,” Patra wrote in a Feb. 20 column. “However, GMs have mostly eschewed spending on safeties in free agency in recent years. If they do so again, Moehrig could offer some C.J. Gardner-Johnson-type dividends. A playmaker who has improved every season, Moehrig showed versatility in the past two years, playing more toward the line of scrimmage (104 tackles in 2024). He’s generated five INTs, 18 passes defended and three sacks since the beginning of the 2023 campaign. At 25, he’s the type of still-growing, multi-talented safety teams should want in their secondary.”
