PRO FOOTBALL : DAILY REPORT : RAIDERS : Shell Says Door Open for Jackson

Coach Art Shell said Tuesday he still doesn’t know if Bo Jackson will play football for the Raiders again. However, Jackson did relay a message to Shell before the NFL draft last April.

“The only thing he’s ever said to me is, ‘If I play baseball, I’ll play football,’ ” Shell said.

Jackson took short-toss batting practice and played catch during his first workout with the Chicago White Sox Tuesday and expects to take live batting practice soon.

Jackson suffered a career-threatening hip injury in the Raiders’ playoff win over the Cincinnati Bengals in January. Several medical experts said Jackson should never play baseball or football again.

Shell said a roster spot will always be open for Jackson, who is entering the final season of a five-year contract with the Raiders.

“In the final analysis, he’ll make the decision whether he can play, when and if he can play football,” Shell said.

Kicker Jeff Jaeger arrived in camp, leaving the team with five unsigned veterans--nose tackle Bob Golic, defensive end Scott Davis, tackle Bruce Wilkerson, center Don Mosebar and punter Jeff Gossett.