Davante Adams has made it clear that while he would enjoy the prospect of catching passes from Aaron Rodgers again, he remains committed to the Las Vegas Raiders and is not seeking a trade to the New York Jets.
Addressing the trade rumors on Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast released Wednesday, Adams clarified his position. This came a day after his agents issued a statement denying any ongoing trade discussions.
“Well, I’ll answer it like this: If I’m gonna be reunited with anybody, it would be Aaron — or relocated and be anywhere, it’d be with Aaron,” Adams said. “But that’s not really my — there was a lot of that stuff going on last year in the media and them asking, ‘What are you gonna do about this? Are you thinking about going here?’ And they talk about whatever without me even being involved in it.”
Adams expressed frustration over the rumors and how they often spin out of his control. “And it ended up getting all the way to the point where it got in the locker room, and people were thinking that I was the driving force, and I’m like, y’all just don’t understand, man. When you — and I hate to say it like this because it makes me sound like I’m trying to put myself on a pedestal — but when you’re a certain level of player, it doesn’t have to come from you, and oftentimes it’s not coming from you.”
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Despite the rumors, the six-time Pro Bowler, who is 31, emphasized his loyalty to the Raiders. The team, which finished 8-9 last season but improved to 5-4 under interim coach Antonio Pierce, is looking forward to Adams’ continued contributions.
“I’m actively on the Raiders. What do I look like sitting here talking to other people about being on another team? And that’s how I still feel about it right now,” said Adams, who is entering the third season of a five-year, $140 million contract. “I’m locked in with the Raiders and I really feel good about this team, and as far as I know they feel good about me. If that ever changes, if that got to a point where they weren’t feeling the same way, I ain’t done playing, so obviously we would figure out whatever we needed to figure out.”
Adams also reflected on his past success with Rodgers, who is now with the Jets, trying to lead them to a Super Bowl after an Achilles tear ended his season last year.
“The thought of playing with Aaron is obviously amazing,” Adams said. “I already know what that’s like — which is similar to why I came here and reunited with Derek [Carr] was ’cause I had familiarity with him. And anytime you have that, it gives you a little bit more confidence than starting fresh with somebody you’ve never played with before, and it helps when they’re the best to ever play the game — or at least that’s how I feel. I don’t know how you feel about that, but that’s certainly how I feel, and [Rodgers has] given me an opportunity to show the world what I can do.”
During eight seasons with the Packers, Adams accumulated 669 catches, 8,121 yards, and 73 touchdowns, including five seasons with double-digit touchdowns and three with at least 1,374 yards.
In his first season with the Raiders in 2022, Adams had 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns with Carr as his quarterback. Last season, with Jimmy Garoppolo and rookie Aidan O’Connell, he recorded 1,144 yards and eight touchdowns.
Adams stressed that while Rodgers made him better, he proved he could succeed without him. “I’m not afraid to say that he definitely made me better, but he definitely didn’t create me — you see it was the same numbers the very next year in Vegas,” he said. “So, obviously I didn’t ‘need him’ but it makes life a hell of a lot easier, that’s for sure.”
The rumors of a potential trade have been fueled by various sources. ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky suggested on “Get Up” that Adams playing for the Jets this season is a “done deal,” and WFAN’s Boomer Esiason mentioned hearing about a possible trade in late August or early September. Additionally, Rodgers himself hinted at a reunion during the American Century Championship golf tournament, saying he “can’t wait to play with [Adams] — again.”
The Jets recently signed receiver Mike Williams to a one-year, $10 million contract, positioning him as the No. 2 receiver behind Garrett Wilson.
