Raiders’ Gardner Minshew Sends Strong Message on Davante Adams

Getty Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Las Vegas Raiders were hit with some massive news this week as it was revealed that star wide receiver Davante Adams has requested a trade. A deal is not imminent quite yet but there appears to be a strong chance he’s played his last snap as a member of the team.

The player who will likely be hurt most by the loss of Adams is starting quarterback Gardner Minshew. If the Raiders acquiesce, Minshew loses his top target and one of the best pass catchers in the NFL. While it’s not an ideal situation, Minshew made it clear that he supports Adams’ decision.

“We gotta focus on the task at hand with who we have here,” Minshew said during his October 2 press conference. “Obviously, everybody here understands Davante’s situation, and we all love Davante, but understand that he has to make the best decision for him. Our team has to make the best decision for us, and we have to keep moving forward and trying to figure out how to win games.”

Raiders players have no choice but to focus on the Denver Broncos in Week 5 as general manager Tom Telesco is the only one who can figure out what exactly to do with Adams.

Antonio Pierce Avoids Davante Adams Topic

Many believe that Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce is partially at fault for the trade request getting escalated after he had liked an Instagram post suggesting that Adams had played his last down with the team. That quickly went viral and eventually the trade request went out into the public.

Pierce had a chance to address the situation but didn’t have much to say.

“I’m just focused on Denver,” Pierce said during his October 2 press conference.

When asked about Adams, Pierce wasn’t willing to discuss the trade request.

“Davante’s dealing with a hamstring, he’s rehabbing, the rest of us are focused on Denver,” Pierce said.

There’s no reason for the Raiders or Pierce to speak on the matter right now. That said, the coach should address the Instagram situation. It’s not a good look when a head coach likes rumors about his players on social media.

Raiders in No Rush to Trade Davante Adams

The Raiders have a lot of time before the November 5 trade deadline to move Adams. It’s unlikely that his value will fluctuate much between now and then. According to The Athletic, the Raiders aren’t super eager to get a deal done.

“The Raiders are not in a rush to make a move until a team reaches their asking price — but Adams wants out as soon as possible, per league sources. The Jets and New Orleans Saints are the dream spots for the receiver, a league source said,” The Athletic Staff wrote.

Adams doesn’t have a no-trade clause so the Raiders have no reason to send him to one of his dream destinations. Considering Las Vegas is 2-2 and not even close to being out of the playoff picture yet, the team can’t be thrilled that Adams is requesting a trade right now. It sounds like Telesco will wait for the best deal and the longer they wait could lead to teams becoming more desperate for a star wide receiver as the season goes along.