Getty Las Vegas Raiders WR Davante Adams.
Over the past couple of seasons, Davante Adams has established himself as arguably the best wide receiver in football. During the last two years with the Green Bay Packers, he combined for 238 receptions for 2,927 yards and 29 touchdowns. He forced a trade to the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason so he could be closer to family and play with quarterback Derek Carr.
The early results haven’t been great. The Raiders are 0-3 and he only has 17 catches in those three losses. When Adams forced his way out of Green Bay, he was leaving back-to-back MVP Aaron Rodgers. It’s never easy for a wide receiver to leave an elite quarterback but in Adams’ mind, Carr is an elite quarterback. However, their pairing has not been nearly as productive as expected to start the season.
The five-time Pro Bowler has been the subject of criticism for leaving a great Packers team and the Raiders losing doesn’t help. Chris “Mad Dog” Russo ripped into Adams for his decision.
“This serves him right as far as I’m concerned,” Russo said on ESPN’s “First Take.” “Why would you ever leave Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay for Las Vegas and Derek Carr?”
After calling out Adams, Russo also took some shots at the Raiders.
“The owner’s never won there … the city is not a great NFL town and Derek Carr is not a great quarterback,” Russo said. “Why would you do that? Doesn’t make any sense.”
Too Early to Question Adams’ Decision
There’s no doubt that Adams isn’t happy with how his Raiders tenure has gone. He lost a combined 10 games with the Packers over the last three seasons. He’s used to winning while the Raiders are used to losing. Part of the reason the team paid a premium to get him is the fact that he knows how to play winning football.
That said, these things take time. The Raiders did install a new head coach this season who runs a complicated offense. While an 0-3 start is concerning, the team isn’t dead in the water yet. They’ve been close in every game and just need to finish. Adams is frustrated but it’s hard to imagine he’s already regretting his decision to leave the Packers.
Adams Not Concerned With Packers Right Now
Naturally, many are going to compare how the Packers are doing and how the Raiders are going now that Adams is gone. Green Bay is 2-1 and will likely be a playoff team when the season ends. For Adams’ part, he’s not worried about his stats for comparisons to his former team.
“All the Green Bay people will definitely still be on that, trying to compare the stats and all that,” Adams said Wednesday. “But we’re not doing this thing for stats at the end of the day.”
Another big reason Adams wanted out of Green Bay was due to Rodgers’ lack of commitment to the Packers. It’s possible that this could be his last season with the team. It’s also possible that he’ll be with them for another several years. Adams had no way to know for sure so he wanted to be somewhere with more clarity. It’s possible that his decision to go to Las Vegas looks better a few years from now than it does currently.