Davante Adams has six total receptions in the past two games and he’s ready for more than a cameo when the Las Vegas Raiders get to Chicago on Sunday.
Acknowledging the Raiders are coming off a win, the six-time Pro Bowl selection said he doesn’t want to be placed on a shelf and would rather play a key role.
“I’m sure people are thinking, ‘They won the game, why is there an issue?’ I mean, you see why it’s an issue,” Adams said.
“Y’all should know who I am, know what I’m about at this point … when you’re a player like me, mentally, my benchmark is not wins and losses — it’s greatness. So when I go out there, I expect to be able to have that ability to put that on tape and have an influence on the game. That’s my purpose for being here. I’m not here just to hang out; I came here to win and to do it the right way.”
Adams, targeted 20 times in Week 3, said he made it clear to coaches and teammates he would “be frustrated if I’m not part of the plan.”
Head coach Josh McDaniels said he would be surprised if Adams wasn’t alarmed at a decline in looks given his talent and history of production.
Adams has 39 receptions for 471 yards and three touchdowns in 2023. But 25 of those receptions and all three touchdowns came in the first three games.
The Raiders signed Jakobi Meyers in free agency to pair with Adams, who was acquired in a trade with the Green Bay Packers prior to the 2022 season. That deal paired Adams with his Fresno State quarterback, Derek Carr. But Carr was released in February, forcing another reset for Adams.
Jimmy Garoppolo was injured last week and it’s possible Brian Hoyer or Aiden O’Connell could start at Chicago this week.
“I mean, I’m not naïve,” Adams said. “At the end of the day, it’s not easy throwing to somebody who gets the coverages that I get. It’s a lot of attention, a lot more than, what I’m sure Jimmy, Derek (Carr), Hoyer, whoever we got out there, Aidan, it’s a lot more complex picture that they’re looking at than the numbers that we’re studying throughout the week.”
–Field Level Media
