Pete Carroll’s Punter Shares How He Rejected $221B Giant After Raiders Agreed Contract Extension

The suits never stood a chance. That’s the funny part. Somewhere between entering the NFL via an UDFA invite and confirming a record $15.8 million NFL extension, AJ Cole had a strange call to make—to a recruiter waiting to onboard him at a giant $221 billion organization. He had promised he’d be there by September 1. Instead, he was about to embark on his path to becoming the highest-paid punter in the league. “I’m not coming,” he finally told them. For Cole, who once believed he was facing his last three days in football, that moment was everything.

AJ Cole carries history with him. Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2019 by the Oakland Raiders, he weathered the team’s relocation and rebranding. Now, he walks with the pride of being both the last punter of Oakland and the first punter of Las Vegas—a unique lineage in NFL lore. But there was a time when Cole, going into his rookie camp, began to lose hope. Despite the UDFA invite, uncertainty from his draft failure lingered, and like any thoughtful professional, he started preparing for life beyond football.

During an interview with FOX NFL insider Jordan Schultz on May 26, Cole shared just how close he came to leaving the NFL behind. He revealed he had lined up a job at IBM—the $221 billion tech titan—and committed to starting on September 1. It wasn’t just a backup plan; it was his exit strategy.

“There was a point where I thought football might be over,” Cole told Schultz. “After the draft, doubt started to creep in. I went into the Raiders rookie tryout thinking, ‘These might be the last three days of football I ever get.’ So I enjoyed every second of it.”

That mindset carried him through the tryout and helped him chart his path to a successful NFL career. Even when offered a contract, he didn’t believe it was real until the paperwork was done. Only then did he call his IBM contact, Rick, and let him down. “I literally called Rick at IBM a week before our first game and said, ‘We’re playing on Monday Night Football. I’m not coming.’”

Fast forward to the 2025 offseason and there came the call. The Las Vegas Raiders informed him that they had finalized a four-year, $15.8 million contract extension with $11 million guaranteed, making Cole the highest-paid punter in the NFL.

AJ Cole becomes the highest-paid punter

With the new deal signed, AJ Cole can now breathe easier. Already under contract through 2025, the extension ties him to the Raiders until 2029. This season alone, he’ll earn a base salary of $3.3 million—cementing his status at the top of his position.

Cole isn’t just cashing checks. He’s all in on the Raiders. A fan favorite, a team leader, and now, a symbol of consistency, he’s expressed a desire to stay with the franchise until he’s 40 years old. At 29, that kind of career longevity would put him in rare territory, but he’s more than willing to chase it.

It’s also a moment of redemption—not just for Cole, but for Pete Carroll and the Raiders organization. By extending their faith in him, they’ve established their intent of putting together a team that is serious about making a Super Bowl run. Now, with Tom Brady’s first full year as co-owner and a fresh wave of expectations, the team has its special teams leader locked in and focused.

And maybe, just maybe, they’ll chase a ring together.