Raiders’ Antonio Pierce Turns Heads With Message on Davante Adams

It hasn’t been long since Davante Adams requested a trade but it’s still taking longer to get a deal done than many expected. The Las Vegas Raiders want a second-round pick but a team hasn’t budged yet.

The New Orleans Saints and New York Jets were rumored to be the wide receiver’s top destinations but both now have the same 2-3 record that the Raiders have. The Jets just fired their head coach and Saints quarterback Derek Carr is dealing with an injury.

Adams might look around the NFL and think that his options outside of Las Vegas aren’t actually that great. Head coach Antonio Pierce only added fuel to the fire with some recent comments about the wide receiver.

“Well the update [is] Davante’s doing well,” Pierce said during his October 9 press conference. “Hamstring is getting there, he’s getting closer and closer to getting back on the field, on the practice field. Good spirits. We talked. So, everything’s good.”

Previously, Pierce has avoided addressing the situation involving Adams. The last we heard, the two hadn’t spoken at all. It sounds like they are on good terms for now but it remains to be seen if that means Adams will play for the Raiders again.

Pierce Says Adams Will Play When Healthy

Adams has missed two games with a hamstring injury and it appears he’ll miss a third. However, Pierce made it clear that if he’s on the team and healthy again, he will play.

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

These are very eye-opening comments from Pierce. It certainly doesn’t sound like he expects Adams to sit out if he doesn’t get traded. The wide receiver never technically demanded a trade. He merely said his preference was to be traded. It sounds like the situation has been salvaged and it can’t be ruled out that Adams plays for the Raiders again.

Should Raiders Keep Adams if He No Longer Wants Trade?

The Raiders could’ve traded Adams at many points over the last year. They thought he would be a key part of the team and decided against shopping him. Prior to the trade request, Adams had continuously said he wanted to stay in Las Vegas.

It’s not exactly clear what led Adams to change his mind but it’s still possible that he decides that the Raiders are actually the team he wants to play for. If that happens, the team will have a decision. It’s clear they aren’t very good and Adams is aging. Plus, he needs a new contract after the season.

Do the Raiders want to pay a 32-year-old wide receiver big money? While some might think that’s a mistake, the team could also be a young quarterback away from being a playoff team. Just look at the Houston Texans with C.J. Stroud last year and the Washington Commanders with Jayden Daniels this year. Both teams went from being the second-worst in the NFL to bonafide contenders. The Raiders could like the idea of pairing a young quarterback with Adams next season and seeing what they can do.