Raiders Star with Alleged Hamstring Woes Wants Trade – And Social Media Isn’t Buying His ‘Injury’

Raiders’ wide receiver Davante Adams reportedly wants out of Las Vegas as he nurses a hamstring injury — and that news, coupled with his desired trade destinations, has fans more than a bit suspicious about how seriously injured he is.

On Monday, Adams confirmed to ESPN insiders that he was requesting a trade. The six-time Pro Bowler and three-time First Team All-Pro has been with the team since 2022.

The move to the Raiders initially reunited Adams with his college teammate Derek Carr — for one season. Carr left for the New Orleans Saints after the Raiders decided to move on, going with former New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers castoff Jimmy Garoppolo as his replacement. That also lasted one season, and now the team is being helmed by former Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts backup Gardner Minshew, who beat out Aidan O’Connell for the starting gig.

🚨 🚨 🚨 #Raiders star WR Davante Adams informed the team that he preferred to be traded, per me and @MikeGarafolo.

There is nothing imminent, but a situation to watch for sure. pic.twitter.com/AAs5nxwqxl

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 1, 2024

That’s not exactly aiming toward greatness, although the Raiders sit at 2-2 after a win Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. Adams didn’t play because of a hamstring injury (or “hamstring injury,” which we’ll get to later) and likely won’t play Week 5 vs. the Denver Broncos no matter what his trade status, according to USA Today.

According to ESPN, the 31-year-old Adams prefers two teams to be traded to: the New Orleans Saints, where Carr is now starting, or the New York Jets.

A trade to the Jets would reunite him with the quarterback he’s spent most of his pro career with: Aaron Rodgers, who helped make Adams a star during their years in Green Bay.

Indeed, FanSided reported that Adams preferred the trade to the Jets, and Sports Illustrated and Amazon Prime NFL insider Albert Breer said that while the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers had expressed interest, those who are in the “Davante Adams’ market have become convinced the Raiders star is focused on engineering a trade to the Jets.”

Teams involved Davante Adams’ market have become convinced the Raiders star is focused on engineering a trade to the Jets. The Bills and Steelers are among those who’ve inquired with Vegas on Adams, per sources.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) October 2, 2024

Social media was abuzz with memes about Adams’ “hamstring injury” as the trade news began to circulate:

Davante Adams hamstrings after being traded to the Jets
pic.twitter.com/9lVbK8JK5Z

— Shooter McGavin (@ShooterMcGavin_) October 2, 2024

Davante Adams hamstring after being traded pic.twitter.com/uq0F8zTZPA

— IslandNucklehead (@IslandNucks) October 2, 2024

Showing up to his first practice with the Jets. pic.twitter.com/R3tXxp7Ffv

— Professor Nutbutter (@Cons_Wildcat) October 2, 2024

Davante Adams hamstring injury after the trade goes through pic.twitter.com/EZeha1DSpk

— Zach Rosas (@ZachRosas2) October 2, 2024

Indeed, if this were a long-term move by Adams, the Bills and Steelers would make more sense than the Saints or (especially) the Jets.

In terms of records, the Jets and Saints sit at 2-2 — same as the Raiders. In addition, neither team has a long-term QB strategy. The Jets’ hopes rest largely on the 40-year-old Rodgers, whose beard seems to get grayer by the week and who sat out all of last season with an injury.

Carr might have a few more years left at 33, but even with a better 2024 with the Saints, he’s become the new face of the “Andy Dalton Line” — a colloquialism among fans, named for the former Cincinnati Bengal, for the league’s most average QB, good enough to start and not look for a replacement, but not good enough to get the team anywhere in the playoffs.

(Dalton, for what it’s worth, is now starting in Carolina after 2023 No. 1 draft pick Bryce Young got benched for, well, playing like Bryce Young, and managed to lead what’s arguably the league’s worst team to a Week 3 win over the Raiders in what might be the last game Adams ever plays for the franchise.)

Not only are the Bills and Steelers 3-1, both have longer-term visions of where they’re going at QB with Josh Allen and Russell Wilson/Justin Fields, respectively. And the Raiders are likely to do something at the team’s most important position; with Minshew winning the starting job over O’Connell, it’s clear they’ve given up on the latter, and Minshew is just a placeholder until the team gets a serious starter behind center. Then again, there are a lot of teams who will likely be taking QBs in the top 10 in the draft this year, and the Raiders seem almost OK enough to not be at the top of the draft.

That being said, most of that speculation is extraneous: If this really was a long-term thing and Adams really was nursing a hamstring injury serious enough to keep him out of both the Browns and Broncos games, the Bills and Steelers would be better options. The Jets and Saints aren’t just win-now-not-later teams, they both just so happen to reunite Adams with aging QBs he’s played with before. What a surprise.

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