Prior to arriving with the Las Vegas Raiders, Davante Adams was widely talked about as one of, if not the best, wideouts in the NFL. Naturally, much of his success was attributed to playing alongside future Pro Football Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers. The national media took it upon themselves to note that Adams would possibly experience a drop-off with Derek Carr throwing him the ball last season. Well, the opposite happened. Instead, Adams had arguably one of his best seasons in his entire career. As it turns out, Adams was fully aware of that misconception.
Speaking with The Ringer’s Mirin Fader, Adams opened up about his feelings towards last year’s success and what it meant for him. In particular, maintaining elite status without Rodgers as his quarterback last year.
“That’ll never be the narrative ever again. It proved that I am me… A quarterback doesn’t make me. … I make me. And I can do it consistently at this level. That’s why [last] season meant a lot. Even if I went and played like dog s*** next year, they can’t say it. Because now I’ve already proved it throughout the course of a season, played every game, and put together a résumé that says I do not need…”
Davante Adams doesn’t need Aaron Rodgers after all…
The Raiders, maybe more than any other NFL team, are easy to hate. It’s even easier to laugh at them if you’re one of the media’s talking heads—the lack of success this century leaves no lack of ammunition. So, when the news surrounding Adams coming to Sin City broke out, many felt No. 17 would go the way of Randy Moss when he joined the Raiders. Instead, the opposite took place. Adams thrived playing with his college teammate and quarterback, earning an All-Pro and breaking a bevy of Raiders’ records.
Adams really did say it best: “You can just write in: He didn’t need Aaron Rodgers.”
The numbers don’t lie; by now, you’ve read everything about them. Still, Adams achieved career highs in multiple categories, including regular-season touchdowns (18), yards per reception (15.2), and times he was targeted (180).
Can Adams repeat that success with the Raiders in 2023?
The conversation now shifts to whether Adams can maintain this level of performance without Derek Carr. Yes, Jimmy Garoppolo is familiar with head coach Josh McDaniels’ system, but is that enough? The chemistry between Adams and Carr was pretty obvious right from the outset. Much like last year, Adams will set out to prove he’ll succeed with whomever is under center.
*Top Photo: Justin Edmonds/Getty Images
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