NEWSLETTER
For a brief moment last week, it seemed like maybe the benching of Derek Carr in Vegas would make Davante Adams consider being traded for the second time in as many years. In the moment, Adams didn’t seem too happy about his friend being sent home from the team in a move that essentially spelled the end of the quarterback’s time in Vegas.
But, with some time to think about the situation and a nice seven-catch, 153-yard, two-touchdown performance with Jarrett Stidham throwing him the ball fresh in his mind, Adams shut down the notion that he might hit the trade market this offseason.
Davante Adams Plans on Staying in Vegas
Adams was asked point blank on Wednesday whether or not he wants to be a Raider in 2023, specifically if they acquire a quarterback that can deliver him the ball downfield consistently. Adams made it pretty clear where he stands:
“Yeah, absolutely,” Adams said. “Like I said, I came here … well, I probably wouldn’t have ended up here originally if Derek [Carr] wasn’t here, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I won’t be here in the event that he’s not here.
“That’s my boy. Obviously, I’ve got his back through anything; I think I’ve made that more than clear at this point, and I support him … but my dream was to play for this team before he was a Raider, and at this point, I want to obviously try to make this thing work and continue on doing what I’m doing here.”
According to Tashan Reed, who covers the Raiders for The Athletic, Adams would like some input in the Raiders pursuit of a quarterback this offseason. Still, regardless of how that shakes out, it seems like the idea that Adams might be traded is a non-starter, at least according to Adams himself.
As far as who might that be delivering Adams the ball in Vegas next season, the Raiders have the eighth pick in the NFL Draft as it stands today, which will shut them out of the consensus big three (Young, Stroud, Levis) quarterbacks in the first round, so they’ll have to rely on a trade or a free agent signing.
If they venture into free agency for their next quarterback, they’ll have some options and about $33 million in cap space, according to Spotrac’s projections, and some options, especially if the top of the class doesn’t strike extensions with their current teams. Lamar Jackson, Geno Smith, Tom Brady, Daniel Jones, and Jimmy Garoppolo are all eligible to become free agents after the season, so Vegas can find their solution under center on the open market and use that eighth pick for another pressing need.
Latest on Damar Hamlin
Damar Hamlin remains in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center on Thursday morning, nearly four days after he was revived on the field at Paycor Stadium and transported to U of C Medical Center.
The Buffalo Bills released a statement this morning stating that Hamlin “has shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours,” according to physicians at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
It’s incredible to hear that Hamlin’s status is trending in the right direction. Even though there is still a long road ahead, the detail in that statement that holds the most weight is that doctors believe that Hamlin appears neurologically intact.
The main focus now is healing and making it to the other side. Still, Domonique Foxworth made a troubling point on the Mina Kimes Show on Tuesday: As a player with less than three years and three games of playing time, Damar Hamlin isn’t a vested NFL player and therefore isn’t eligible for NFL retirement benefits such as five years of healthcare provided by the league, a pension, and more, leaving Hamlin ultimately uncovered if he never makes it back to a football field.
AFC, NFC Players of the Week
The NFL has named its Week 17 Players of the Week this morning:
Mike Evans caught 10 passes for 207 yards and three touchdowns in the Buccaneers Week 17 win over the Carolina Panthers to help the Bucs seal their NFC South title for the second straight season.
Evans now has five career games with at least 180 receiving yards and two or more touchdown catches, which is tied with Tyreek Hill for the most in NFL history, per NFL Communications.
Austin Ekeler’s two touchdowns on Sunday gave him an NFL-high 18 on the season. Ekeler has found the end zone 13 times on the ground and five through the air.
