AP

As the high-stakes game of chess, checkers, and chicken continues to unfold in connection with the NFL’s looming return to L.A., an intriguing wrinkle has emerged, courtesy of Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com.

Bair reports that one of the “theories floating around” in Texas during Wednesday’s ownership meeting stands for the notion that the presence of Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara could keep the Raiders from satisfying the relocation policy.

While the policy contains no such clarity, the terms at least suggest that the presence of a suitable stadium in the current home territory could be a factor. Specifically, the relocation policy states that “clubs are obligated to work diligently and in good faith to obtain and to maintain suitable stadium facilities in their home territories, and to operate in a manner that maximizes fan support in their current home community.” Applying that term literally to the Oakland Raiders, the presence of an NFL stadium down the road in Santa Clara (which is actually closer to Oakland than to San Francisco) could be an impediment to an effort by the Raiders to leave the Bay Area, since the Raiders have an obligation “to work diligently and in good faith to obtain and to maintain suitable stadium facilities in their home territories.”

Meanwhile, Bair notes that Raiders owner Mark Davis said Wednesday that he won’t move the team to Santa Clara or to St. Louis.

The relocation policy wouldn’t force Davis to move to Santa Clara, but it could help keep him in Oakland. And, if Davis can’t find a stadium solution in Oakland, it could force him to reconsider his position on Santa Clara.

Ultimately, that could be the best solution for the Raiders and the rest of the NFL. If, of course, the 49ers can be persuaded to open their stadium to a team they can no longer play in the preseason because of the animosity between their fan bases.