Getty Las Vegas Raiders WR Davante Adams.
Early in the week, there was no reason to believe that wide receiver Davante Adams wouldn’t play in Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns. The Las Vegas Raiders star was surprisingly added to the injury report on Thursday and subsequently ruled out on Friday.
What likely happened is that Adams hurt his hamstring in practice on Thursday and the Raiders are playing it safe. However, his getting ruled out led to a lot of speculation online that both sides could be extra cautious because he’s likely getting traded.
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Some even suggested that he’d mysteriously get healed as soon as he gets moved to a new team. That’s a stretch considering Adams has never said he was unhappy with the Raiders and is a team captain.
Hamstring injuries are very difficult for a wide receiver to play through and they don’t typically heal without a good amount of rest. The Browns have already ruled out three starters of their own and have a litany of injury issues.
The Raiders are likely playing it safe against a team that is equally hobbled as them. Now, if Adams keeps missing time, this could be a situation to monitor but if the plan is to trade him, it seems like it’s a better idea to play him so that he can show teams he still has value.
Davante Adams Recently Discussed Trade Rumors
Adams has been dealing with trade rumors for the majority of his Raiders tenure despite the fact that he’s only in his third season with the team. Prior to the injury news, he addressed the recent trade rumors.
“It’s funny that I have to say it every week for people,” Adams said on the September 24 episode “Up & Adams.” “Sometimes you just get to a point where you are secure enough in how you feel and who you are to where you just stop really worrying about what everybody is thinking all the time… At no point have I been voicing ‘I want to do this, or I want to do that.’ I’ve said millions of times if I want to do anything, I’d be gone by now.”
It’s still too early in the season for the Raiders to start selling off assets. Despite the rocky start, Las Vegas would actually be the seventh seed in the playoffs if the season ended today. With the AFC being so messy, it’d be wise to hold onto Adams and see if the team can get hot.
Who Will Step up With Davante Adams Out?
This will be the first time since Adams joined the Raiders that he’ll miss a game. He’s the team’s best and most expensive offensive player so he’ll be missed. However, the team has to move forward and try to score points.
This should be a big game for rookie tight end Brock Bowers. He’s been one of the best tight ends in the NFL and he should be heavily involved in the offense this week. Jakobi Meyers has yet to have a big game this season. He was very good for the Raiders last year and this could be his chance to have a breakout game.
Tre Tucker is another receiver to watch. He’s made some big plays this season but hasn’t been seeing consistent targets. With Adams out, expect Gardner Minshew to target him more.
