Davante Adams came to the Las Vegas Raiders to win a Super Bowl and play with Derek Carr. Neither is going to happen anytime soon.
Publicly, Adams stated he wanted to play with his former college quarterback. Adams also voiced his desire to win a Super Bowl; one of the few things he never accomplished as a Green Bay Packer. And, although this is merely an assumption echoed by his former quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Adams does not want to be part of a rebuild.
“I want to get that trophy at the end of the year.” -Davante Adams (The Pivot Podcast)
Unfortunately for Adams, Carr is no longer the quarterback of the Raiders, and the team is indeed at the beginning of a rebuild. A Super Bowl appearance is far from a realistic expectation – heck, a playoff appearance seems impractical.
Raiders WR Davante Adams will experience a drop-off in stats this season…
The Raiders entered 2022 with the attitude they would win a significant number of games and be competitive within the AFC West. Las Vegas could have done that they not blown four games with double-digit leads. Instead, they finished the season 6-11, placing third place in the AFC West.
Still, Adams had one of the best years of his career.
The first-year Raider concluded last season with 1,516 receiving yards and a league-high 14 receiving touchdowns. He also had the highest number of targets in his career and the highest yards per catch at 15.2. This remarkable production is not normal for a wide receiver’s first season with a new quarterback. Adams had the luxury of two years of experience with Carr in college at Fresno State before their reunion in Sin City.
This stat line will not be replicated in 2023. It is not a guarantee, but based on Garoppolo’s injury history and his passing ability as opposed to Carr’s, it does not seem likely.
Since 2018, Garoppolo ranks 48th in throws over 20-yards among qualifying QBs. Since 2018, Davante Adams ranks 3rd in the league of receptions of over 20-yards.
He’s also had season-ending injuries in 3 of the last 5 seasons.
— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) March 13, 2023
Garoppolo may come from a winning background with the New England Patriots and the San Francisco 49ers. However, as an individual quarterback, he is a downgrade from Carr. Adams will be working with a new quarterback who usually has an elite defense backing him up. Garoppolo won’t have that luxury in 2023, simply put.
There were questions surrounding Adams’ initial reaction to the Garoppolo signing that did not suggest he was very excited.
What about the money?
Adams is currently in Las Vegas on a five-year contract worth up to $140 million. No.17 received a huge portion of his guaranteed money – $42.93 million dollars on March 17, 2023 – which included his 2024 salary. While the Raiders’ most advantageous time to part ways with Adams’ grandiose contract comes in 2025, the unpopular opinion is that Adams will ask for a trade at the conclusion of the 2023 season.
In January of 2023, the Raiders had already suggested they would be willing to accommodate Adams if he requested a trade.
A team that actually has a chance at a Super Bowl victory would take on Adams’ contract. The rest of the AFC West and the AFC in general have continued to build up their teams; meanwhile, Las Vegas released their quarterback, who was the all-time passing touchdown leader in team history. Additionally, they traded tight end Darren Waller – who was a top-five tight end in the NFL – to the New York Giants for a third-round pick. The Raiders’ defense finished a dismal 26th-overall in 2022, 30th in sacks, 29th in passing defense, and tied for 32nd (last) in interceptions.
It’s just not an optimal situation all around.
Adams’ former quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, has even found himself in a new situation with the New York Jets. While Adams may be floundering in 2023, Rodgers has positioned himself to reach the Super Bowl again.
Speaking of the Super Bowl, will Davante Adams ever win one?
The Raiders had a strong draft in 2023, but there are still many holes that need to be addressed. Adams will be 31 before the 2023 NFL season ends, and will likely finish without competing in the postseason. It’s a foregone conclusion that Adams will one day make his way into the Pro Football Hall of Fame based on his stellar career. The caveat to that is that Adams will not want to join the other host of current (or future) Hall of Fame receivers that never won a Super Bowl: Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, and Raiders legend Tim Brown.
Adams will only be able to put up with mediocrity for so long. It’s a situation to track in 2023; that’s certainly true. For the sake of Raider Nation, hopefully Adams remains in the Silver and Black – the fanbase has been through quite a bit in the last few years. That being said, do not be surprised if he wears new colors in 2024.
*Top Photo: Associated Press
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