Las Vegas Raiders WR Davante Adams won’t be on the plane ride back to Pittsburgh with the rest of the Steelers on Sunday evening. But he might not be far behind. While speculation about his future continues, the Steelers are regarded as being one of the top teams in the mix for him. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the team isn’t hiding their interest, and the longer it takes Adams to be dealt, the more that benefits Pittsburgh.
“The Steelers have strong interest in trading for the All-Pro receiver. The feeling among the people I’ve spoken to is Las Vegas has started with the Saints and Jets, in part because Adams is interested in playing there. But the longer this goes, perhaps the more things open up for a team such as Pittsburgh. Adams likely won’t be traded until next week at the earliest.”
Davante Adams will miss this week’s game with a hamstring injury, reportedly a “legitimate” injury, and a possible hang-up as to why a deal hasn’t occurred. Whoever trades for him wants to ensure he’s healthy and won’t spend the first three weeks with his new team on the sideline. It’s not the only obstacle in the deal. Adams’ contract and the Raiders’ compensation are also factors in getting a deal done.
Still, the reports have focused on Pittsburgh from nearly the moment Adams’ trade request was made public. The Steelers haven’t been considered the frontrunners, and Fowler’s report only adds to that. The New York Jets and New Orleans Saints top Davante Adams’ list, the chance to reunite with former QBs Aaron Rodgers or Derek Carr.
But that doesn’t guarantee a deal will get done, and those clubs have their own problems. The Jets fired their head coach and face uncertainty over who will run the team next year (GM Joe Douglas is reportedly in the final year of his contract, too). Carr is out multiple weeks with an oblique injury, leaving rookie Spencer Rattler to start. Those things certainly can’t hurt Pittsburgh’s odds of standing out from the crowd.
If the Steelers can have their best performance of the season against Davante Adams’ current team, it could make a key impression on Adams. And could give Pittsburgh the starting caliber receiver they’ve been searching for since trading away Diontae Johnson in March.
