The Pittsburgh Steelers have interest in Las Vegas Raiders WR Davante Adams. Unfortunately, the feeling might not be mutual. While the Steelers appear to be on the shortlist of teams calling the Raiders about him, the growing sense is Adams wants to reunite with QB Aaron Rodgers and join the New York Jets.
NFL insider Albert Breer shared that the Steelers and the Buffalo Bills are two teams in the market for Adams. However, teams believe he’ll wind up in the Big Apple.
Breer’s reporting tracks with what other insiders have said throughout the day. The Steelers have interest; they’ve spoken with the Raiders, but no deal is imminent. And that Adams would prefer a reunion either with the Jets and Rodgers or the New Orleans Saints and QB Derek Carr, his Fresno State teammate and quarterback when Adams was traded to the Raiders ahead of the 2021 season.
While the Raiders have no obligation to send Adams to the Jets, they don’t hold all the leverage. Any deal with Adams could lead to his contract being restructured, and if that’s a requirement for a deal getting done with any team, Adams certainly will have a say. It’s similar to Brandon Aiyuk, who turned down offers from the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns even though they were deals the 49ers appeared willing to do. This time, the Steelers might be the Browns or Patriots, interested but unable to convince Adams to push the deal through.
If Pittsburgh can’t land Adams, they could turn to other names who may pop up on the trade block closer to the Nov. 5th deadline. Tennessee’s DeAndre Hopkins could top the list. A player with a great pedigree and a fantastic resume, Mike Tomlin’s always spoken highly of him. The Titans don’t appear to be playoff contenders and could ship Hopkins, now 32 years old, off for a late-round draft pick.
Though all reports point in the Jets’ direction, the actual outcome is rarely the expected one. And no deal is done until it’s done. For now, the Steelers will keep a line open with the Raiders and see if the Jets are truly leading this race.
