Raiders GM Confident Davante Adams Will Stay In LV Despite Tumultuous Year
Davante Adams is an elite wideout in a bad situation, but his new general manager believes he's committed to being a Raider for the foreseeable future.
Speaking from the NFL combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on Tuesday, GM Tom Telesco deflected any trade consideration for Adams.
(Follow OutKick's Armando Salguero as he reports from the NFL Combine)
"He’s a Raider," Telesco, the former Chargers GM, responded against rumors of wanting to trade Adams.
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams is frustrated with the team's offense and wants the ball more. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Despite the Raiders' woes, Adams still crossed the 1,000-yard receiving mark last season — the fifth time he's accomplished the feat in the last six seasons (four consecutive). Adams, 31, played all 17 games in 2023, tallying 107 receptions, 1,144 yards and eight touchdowns. On several occasions last season, Davante Adams aired his frustration with being stuck in an offensively inept system as a bona fide WR1.
READ: Davante Adams Shows Frustration With Raiders: 'I Don't Got Time To Wait Around'
With Adams, the Raiders have gone 14-20 over the last two seasons.
The team did bend for Adams in the offseason by hiring Antonio Pierce as their full-time HC, whom Adams championed during the head-coaching search. Fellow Raiders star Maxx Crosby also vied for Pierce to get the job.
Depending on Aidan O'Connell and Jimmy Garoppolo only made matters worse as the 2023 season went on. It was their first year without Derek Carr, who was a longtime teammate of Adams and a motivating factor in his move from Green Bay to Las Vegas.
HENDERSON, NEVADA - JANUARY 24: Tom Telesco speaks as he is introduced as the general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders during a news conference also introducing Antonio Pierce as the team's head coach at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center on January 24, 2024 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 15: Davante Adams #17 of the Las Vegas Raiders high fives Adam Butler #69 of the Las Vegas Raiders prior to a game against the New England Patriots at Allegiant Stadium on October 15, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sam Morris/Getty Images)
Now that rumors buzz around a potential reunion between Adams and ex-Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (now with the Jets, in case you lived under a rock), Telesco wants to ensure his best player on offense is content and committed to the future. Adams signed a contract with the Raiders after being traded by the Packers in 2022, totaling five years and $141.25 million.
Adams remains a hot commodity for teams in need of a WR1. And without a solid plan at QB for the Raiders moving forward, Adams will continue to pop up in trade discussions.
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