Conventional wisdom makes it sound like Las Vegas Raiders WR Davante Adams is a sure-fire bet to be on his way out of town, possibly traded to the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, or even the Pittsburgh Steelers within the next week. But new reporting suggests Adams could have a change of heart thanks to the team’s change at quarterback.
In a Saturday column, Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline believes Adams could rescind his trade request if new QB Aidan O’Connell plays well and sparks the Raiders’ offense, starting with Sunday’s game against the Steelers.
“Several sources close to the situation told me if the Raiders can turn the corner with O’Connell under center, Adams may lobby to stay in Las Vegas…Going back to last season, I reported the fondness Adams has for O’Connell, then a rookie fourth-round quarterback out of Purdue, referring to him as ‘my dawg.'”
Head coach Antonio Pierce made the quarterback change in the second half of the team’s Week 5 loss to the Denver Broncos, benching Gardner Minshew after two interceptions and a lack of points. O’Connell finished the game, going 10-of-20 for 94 yards, no touchdown, and a pick, though he entered the game down big and played a tough defense. He was named the Week 6 starter on Wednesday.
O’Connell made 10 starts as a rookie and posted respectable numbers for the circumstances. A fourth-round pick we compared to Brian Hoyer, O’Connell posted a .5o0 record while completing 62 percent of his passes with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
From Week 9 through 18, games O’Connell all started, Adams caught 56 passes for 605 yards and five touchdowns. They were similar but better projections than his pace before O’Connell became the every-week starter, making it easy to see why Adams was a fan. A pocket passer, O’Connell has a good arm and NFL accuracy.
The exact reason Adams asked for a trade still isn’t abundantly clear. It was likely a combination of the team failing to compete, a turbulent quarterback situation, and a controversial social media moment from Pierce. If O’Connell can breathe life into the offense, Adams could change his mind. It helps that his other top destinations have their own questions. The New York Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh, and while Pauline says that it won’t impact Adams’ decision, it could complicate things for New York. The New Orleans Saints will be without starting QB Derek Carr for a couple of weeks, turning to rookie Spencer Rattler instead.
Sunday’s game could mean a lot. If Pittsburgh takes it to Las Vegas, Adams might follow the Steelers down the (black and) yellow brick road. But if O’Connell throws the ball all over the yard, Adams might realize there’s no place like home.
