Anyone who had a chance to watch Netflix’s Receiver TV series witnessed an unhappy Davante Adams, often complaining about his situation. Sometimes, it was a lack of targets. Other moments it was poor ball placement, putting him in a position to get hurt.
But it’s a fresh start for the Las Vegas Raiders this season, with Antonio Pierce becoming the head coach instead of handling duties on an interim basis. The Raiders also have a new quarterback, with Gardner Minshew III added into the mix along with Aidan O’Connell. Now Adams will have a lot more time to build chemistry and get on the same page with his quarterbacks.
Yet, the Raiders are in a tough division, forced to face the repeat Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs twice a year. Unless and until the Raiders have a proven quarterback, they’re not expected to be serious playoff contenders.
While anything is possible, there are serious doubts about how much longer Adams will be able to handle life in Vegas, knowing he hasn’t been to the playoffs since leaving Green Bay in 2021. Could this mean a trade is on the horizon?
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Davante Adams trade more likely to happen in-season
Davante Adams is not on the trade block right now. The Las Vegas Raiders want to see what Coach Pierce is capable of when given a full offseason and training camp to get the most out of his players.
However, Adams’s availability could change as the season progresses. This year, the NFL trade deadline is the latest it’s ever been — after Week 9. This gives the Raiders plenty of time to evaluate their roster, and their ability to compete with the talent on hand.
Yet, if the Raiders get to Week 9 and are far behind in the standings, the 31-year-old receiver could very well be traded.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, there’s a “feasible” time when the Raiders may consider trading Adams, and it’s right before the 2024 trade deadline.
“For whatever it’s worth, I don’t think there’s a Davante Adams trade on the horizon. My sense is the Las Vegas Raiders don’t want to put head coach Antonio Pierce in a position where the front office is saying, with its actions, that this just isn’t the team’s year.
But before the trade deadline? That’d be more feasible, as I see it, if the Raiders’ season is circling the drain. Doing it at, say, with a 1–6 record, would be a lot easier to explain to the locker room than doing it at 0–0. And at that point, the Raiders consider the reality that the cash in Adams’s deal jumps from $17.5 million this year, to $36.25 million in 2025, and $36.25 million in ’26, making it less than likely he’s with the team after the season.”
Albert Breer
If Adams becomes available, you can bet the New York Jets would come calling, and the former Green Bay Packers receiver seems open to reuniting with his former quarterback under the right circumstances. We know Rodgers agrees.
For now, Adams is a Raider, but if they stumble, his time in Vegas may not last much longer.
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