Getty Former Raiders DB Charles Woodson.
After Davante Adams shoved an ESPN freelancer on his wait to the locker room following the Las Vegas Raiders‘ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5, it looked as if he would be quickly receiving punishment from the NFL. However, the wide receiver now faces a legal case and the league would prefer to wait until that’s resolved, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
While many have condemned Adams for shoving the freelancer, there are former players who believed he didn’t do anything wrong. Typically, security keeps people out of the path to the locker room right after a game. For whatever reason, that didn’t happen in Week 5 as the worker shot out right in front of Adams, which led to him pushing the man. Once the legal situation is resolved, it’s possible that the wide receiver will face a fine and/or suspension. That won’t sit well with some former players.
Raiders legend and NFL Hall of Famer Charles Woodson believes that Adams should see no punishment whatsoever.
.@nfl @tae15adams deserves NO discipline .. Have a good night
Woodson then went on to say that he believed Adams was acting in self-defense when he shoved the worker.
@mamabear14_17 @NFL @tae15adams No, it was self defense
This situation has turned into a polarizing topic but it’s unlikely the NFL will heed the advice of Woodson. How the legal situation plays out likely holds a lot of weight with what the league will do.
Adams Appears Likely to Play in Week 7
With the NFL deciding to take the wait-and-see approach with Adams, it appears that he’s good to go for the Raiders for the time being. Punishment could come his way eventually but that will largely depend on how the legal situation plays out. His court date isn’t until November 10th so it will take some time to resolve.
In the meantime, the Raiders need Adams on the field. He’s proven that he’s still one of the top wide receivers in the NFL despite leaving Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. If they are going to turn the season around, they’ll need Adams to play a big role in that.
Adams Almost Had to Miss Jersey Retirement
While Adams deals with some issues off the field, it’s been a time of celebration for him during the Raiders’ bye week. The wide receiver had his No. 15 jersey retired at Fresno State this past weekend. In just two seasons with the Bulldogs, Adams had 233 catches for 3,031 yards and 38 touchdowns. He had one of the greatest two-year runs for a wide receiver in NCAA history. However, he almost couldn’t make it to the jersey retirement ceremony.
According to the Fresno Bee, Adams’ “charter flight from Henderson, Nev., was forced to return to its point of origin when a windshield in the plane cracked shortly after takeoff.”
“Not too scary,” Adams told the Fresno Bee. “It was more so a bummer that I thought I wouldn’t be able to make it on time. We had to land back and then get it right and make sure we got here safe and could have a good time together.”
Adams knew it was important to be there and was happy he could figure it out.
“I don’t take this lightly,” Adams said. “This means a lot to me, I’m trying not to get too emotional right here because, obviously, it’s a lot.”