Davante Adams isn’t your typical trade deadline candidate. But then again, the Raiders wide receiver is not your typical player.
The Pro Bowler has been in trade rumors leading up to Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET trade deadline. Adams does not have an expiring contract like a majority of potential players on the trade block; however, it has become evident that Adams is not pleased with his role on the team.
Las Vegas traded for the wide receiver two offseasons ago, sending draft capital to Green Bay for Adams. The Raiders subsequently signed him to a five-year, $141.25 million deal, making him the highest-paid wide receiver at the time.
The thought behind bringing in Adams was to reunite him with his college quarterback, Derek Carr. But after a dismal 2022 season, the Raiders elected to let Carr walk in free agency and instead, signed Jimmy Garoppolo to be the team’s new signal-caller.
Josh McDaniels’ crew is 3-4 heading into a “Monday Night Football” contest against the Lions in Week 8. With the trade deadline a day away, will it be the final time Adams plays in a Raiders uniform?
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Here is more on Adams and the potential for a trade at this year’s deadline.
Davante Adams trade rumors
If Adams were to become available, he would undoubtedly be the best player on the trade block, as the wide receiver is considered among the elite at his position.
However, it appears unlikely that Adams will be moved at the deadline. According to Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post, executives around the league “doubt” that the Raiders will trade Adams before the deadline, which follows in line with a report last week from ESPN’s Adam Schefter that said the Raiders won’t deal the All-Pro WR.
The trade rumors heightened over the last week due to Adams’ comments after the team’s Week 6 win over the Patriots. The receiver publicly aired out his frustrations over his usage on offense. Adams had two catches for 29 yards and five targets during the contest against New England.
“I’m sure people are thinking, ‘They won the game, why is there an issue?’ I mean, you see why it’s an issue,” Adams said. “Y’all should know who I am, know what I’m about at this point … when you’re a player like me, mentally, my benchmark is not wins and losses — it’s greatness. So when I go out there, I expect to be able to have that ability to put that on tape and have an influence on the game. That’s my purpose for being here. I’m not here just to hang out; I came here to win and to do it the right way.”
It’s understandable why Adams has become irked by the offense. Over the last three games, he has 13 catches on 21 targets for 131 yards. Adams hasn’t hit 100 yards receiving in a game since a 13-catch performance for 172 yards in Week 3 over the Steelers. That’s also the last time Adams found the end zone.
It hasn’t helped that the Raiders have been forced to use three different QBs this season with starter Jimmy Garoppolo missing time, but even so, Adams’ usage has decreased compared to year’s past, as he is averaging just 11.5 yards per catch in 2023, the second-lowest number of his career.
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However, Adams walked back on the comments later on. During an appearance on the “Rich Eisen Show”, he cleared the air, clarifying that while he hasn’t agreed with how things have gone, he isn’t looking for an exit.
“I am happy to be a Raider, 100%,” Adams said. “This was my choice and this is something that I’m standing by, I want to continue to work at, to make it what it’s supposed to be. I’m not happy at every moment with the way things go, but I’m definitely proud to wear this uniform. … I’m not looking for a new home.”
Adams’ relationship with Las Vegas took a hit even before this season began. Part of the reason why Adams agreed to a trade to the Raiders and signed a five-year, $141.25 million with the club was due to Derek Carr. The pair had played together in college at Fresno State, and the familiarity with his quarterback is what drew Adams out west.
All of that changed at the end of last season when the club decided to part ways with Carr after nine years together. The Raiders let Carr walk in free agency, where he signed a four-year deal with the Saints.
“I came here to play with Derek,” Adams said previously. “I can’t say I would have been here if he wasn’t here. … No regrets at the end of the day. If we lost every game I wouldn’t say I regret my decision because in life you drive yourself crazy if you live that way.”
As much as Adams may want, Carr isn’t coming back to Las Vegas, so if another reunion between the two is in the cards, it won’t be with the Raiders. That’s how the business goes.
In the meantime, if Las Vegas has its eyes set on making the postseason, it doesn’t take a football brainiac to figure out that the team needs to get Adams more involved, especially if they consider him a main part of their future.
