Davante Adams Rumors: Ex-Packers WR Asked for Raiders Trade Shortly After 2021 Season
March 24, 2022
Former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams reportedly requested a trade shortly after the 2021 season came to a close, according to USA Today's Tom Silverstein.
He reportedly made it clear that his desire was to play with Derek Carr, his former college teammate at Fresno State, and the Las Vegas Raiders.
This report doesn't necessarily come as a surprise after ESPN's Rob Demovsky reported Adams chose the Raiders over the Packers, who were willing to give him the same contract extension.
The Packers traded Adams to the Raiders last week in exchange for the 22nd and 53rd overall picks in the 2022 draft. He then signed a five-year, $141.25 million contract with the Silver and Black which, at the time, made him the highest-paid wide receiver in the league.
However, Tyreek Hill was traded by the Kansas City Chiefs to the Miami Dolphins this week and agreed to a four-year, $120 million deal with the franchise, making him the NFL's new highest-paid receiver on an annual basis.
Adams had spent his entire eight-year career in Green Bay after the Packers selected him in the second round of the 2014 draft. He has emerged as one of the best receivers in the NFL, recording three seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards, earning five Pro Bowl selections and two All-Pro selections.
During the 2021 season, the 29-year-old caught 123 passes for 1,553 yards and 11 touchdowns in 16 games. He'll be hoping to put together a similarly productive season in 2022 alongside Carr.
During his introductory news conference Tuesday, Adams told reporters that he grew up idolizing the Raiders, hoping he would one day be able to play for the franchise, per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
“I grew up in East Palo Alto (California). I’ve been a Raiders fan all my life. It was a dream to be a Raider. I said I wanted to be an NFL star, and I was wearing a Charles Woodson jersey at the time. I guess you could say it was meant to be.”
After making several changes this offseason, the Raiders are expected to make the playoffs for the second straight season, though they'll hope to make it past the AFC Wild Card Round. With the help of Adams and several other offseason additions, they could make their deepest run in decades.