On Wednesday, Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams answered a straightforward question a reporter that made a lot of fans exhale in relief.
Does Adams want to be with the Silver and Black if the team can find a serviceable replacement for Derek Carr? For now, he’s willing to see the team’s plan through in what’s likely the post-Carr era.
Keeping Davante Adams happy is a top priority
Davante Adams credited Carr’s presence for steering his playing career to Las Vegas, though he’s willing to stay if the team indeed moves on from his close friend.
While that’s good news for the Raiders, they must pick the right quarterback to keep their star wide receiver happy. Adams didn’t say that, but The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman provided context as to why the two-time All-Pro wanted to leave the Green Bay Packers.
Aaron Rodgers went into the 2022 offseason uncertain about his future, but he ultimately decided to sign an extension with the Packers. About a week after the four-time league MVP agreed to a new deal, Green Bay dealt Adams to the Raiders in exchange for first- and second-round picks.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Rodgers knew Adams wouldn’t play for the Packers when he signed his new contract. In other words, the wideout had made up his mind and chose to leave a then-38-year-old quarterback with an iffy future.
Fast forward to the present, Adams doesn’t know who will be the Raiders’ starting quarterback for Week 1 of the 2023 season, but he’s on board with team brass.
“Me, Josh, Zieg, we all got a really good dynamic, and it’s something that I really appreciate,” Adams said.
Regardless of what happens with Carr over the next few weeks, the Raiders still have Davante Adams’ trust, and he believes that his input has merit with the club’s decision-makers.
“I’m not a guy that’s just going to come in here just saying anything,” Adams said. “They know, whether it’s about the scheme, or if it’s about personnel or whatever it is, there’s a rhyme to the reason. I’m definitely going to have something behind whatever it is that I’m thinking or I’m saying. So we’ve obviously got a good understanding of one another, and that helps this whole process.”
Obviously, general manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels would be smart to at least keep Adams in the loop when it comes down to their quarterback plan. Vegas acquired and signed Adams to a five-year, $140 million extension with $65.7 million in guarantees.
If Davante Adams isn’t happy with the Raiders’ quarterback plan, they can work with him on a post-June 1 designated trade in the 2024 offseason that would leave about $7.9 million in dead money for the remaining three terms of his contract, per Over the Cap.
In the best-case scenario, Adams sees the long-term vision for the offense or the upside in a young signal-caller of the team’s choice.
Davante Adams’ inconsistent 2022 season
Keep in mind that despite all the talk about Carr’s underwhelming 2022 performances, Adams either matched or eclipsed some of his receiving numbers from the 2021 campaign when he caught passes from Rodgers.
Davante Adams has a league-leading 14 touchdown receptions and averages a career-high 15.2 yards per catch. He’s 111 receiving yards from surpassing last year’s number.
Adams’ pass-catching numbers dropped in terms of efficiency, though. He has a 55.6 percent catch rate, which is his second-lowest career mark in that statistical category. Remember, Carr is one of three quarterbacks who leads the league in interceptions (14) and has a 60.8 percent completion rate, which is the second-lowest mark of his career.
Adams’ production has been far more inconsistent this season than in years past. He’s finished seven out of 16 games with five or fewer catches, and the Raiders went 1-6 in those contests with the only victory against the New England Patriots in which Chandler Jones scored on a walk-off fumble recovery.
As good as Adams’ numbers look on paper without context, the Raiders could get more out of him with a quarterback who’s better suited for McDaniels’ system, and someone who has the trust of the coaching staff.
Who will be best free-agent QB option for Davante Adams?
Per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Raiders knew “within weeks” that Carr didn’t fit in their long-term plans.
As Ziegler and McDaniels attempt to pivot in a new direction at the most important position on the roster, they can feel good about the fact that Davante Adams can elevate a passer. In his first career start, Jarrett Stidham looked the part of a capable starter, connecting with Adams on seven passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns against the San Francisco 49ers’ No. 1-ranked scoring defense.
Is Stidham the long-term answer at quarterback though? Right now, he still has a lot to prove, so he may not excite Adams to the extent that he wants to plant his flag in Vegas for the rest of his NFL career.
If Stidham has a big game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, he can play his way into the Raiders’ quarterback decisions. If not, Ziegler and McDaniels will have to target free-agent veterans and prospects in the 2023 draft.
Some Raiders fans won’t like to hear it, but Tom Brady, who’s played several years in McDaniels system, has the cachet, the bling and still garners a ton of respect around the league. He’s made a habit of recruiting guys to join him. Even at 45 years old, going on 46 in August, Brady could be an attractive target in Adams’ eyes. Who in the quarterback pool can provide more of a win-now attitude with leadership skills than Brady? Adams would probably welcome arguably the best quarterback of all time in the locker room.
Maurice Moton covers the Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.