Raiders HC Antonio Pierce: ‘Everything’s good’ after talk with Davante Adams

The No. 1 question concerning the Las Vegas Raiders seems to be more when they’ll trade star wide receiver Davante Adams, who requested a trade last week, than if they will. Meanwhile, Adams has missed the team’s last two games due to a hamstring injury.

Has Adams played his last game for the Raiders?

Speaking about the matter on Wednesday, Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce implied that the answer to that may not be as clear as it once seemes

“He’s still a Raider,” Pierce said. “When he’s healthy and he can play, we’ll play him. He’s just not healthy right now. He’s getting closer. He’s working every day to get that hamstring right. He’s in the right headspace. We talked recently and had a good conversation, and he’s ready to play football.”

It’s the clearest indication yet that Adams may yet see the field again as a Raider after all. After a report early Monday that the Raiders and Adams were looking to finalize a trade out of Las Vegas within the next 48 hours, ESPN reported Wednesday that the timetable for an Adams trade will likely be delayed at least another week, in large part due to issues within his top two preferred destinations.

Adams reportedly wants to be traded to the New York Jets, where he’d reunite with quarterback Aaron Rodgers; Adams and Rodgers were teammates on the Green Bay Packers from 2014-21. The New Orleans Saints have also been mentioned as a potential trade partner for Adams, as such a move would reunite him with quarterback Derek Carr; Adams and Carr were teammates on the Raiders in 2022 and in college at Fresno State.

However, both teams are reeling after Week 5 losses that dropped them to 2-3 on the season. The Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday and elevated defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich to interim head coach ahead of a massive Monday Night Football clash against the Buffalo Bills for first place in the AFC East. The Saints, meanwhile, will likely be without Carr for multiple weeks after the quarterback suffered an oblique injury against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday.

Adams, a three-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler, has totaled 18 receptions for 209 yards and one touchdown across the three games that he has played in this season. The 31-year-old is in his third season with the Raiders and the third season of a five-year, $140 million deal ($65.7 million guaranteed), while totaling 1,100-plus receiving yards in five of the past six seasons.

Las Vegas (2-3) is coming off a 34-18 loss on the road to the Denver Broncos, snapping the former’s eight-game winning streak over its AFC West rival. This coming Sunday, the Raiders host the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2), with Pierce announcing Wednesday that Aidan O’Connell will start at quarterback over Gardner Minshew.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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