With the exodus of Derek Carr from the Silver and Black seemingly all but assured, questions loom about the future of Davante Adams with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Adams, who was traded from the Green Bay Packers to Carr's Raiders last offseason, said Wednesday that the quarterback's potential departure would not bring about his, but he would like to be kept abreast of the decision-making regarding Las Vegas' next franchise QB.
"I wouldn't have been here or ended up here, originally, probably if Derek wasn't here," Adams said Wednesday. "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. I support him and I support everything that he has moving forward as well.
"But my dream was to play for this team before he was a Raider, obviously, and at this point I want to try to make this thing work and continue on doing what I'm doing here, myself get better and obviously see the team grow and get better as well."
Traded west to Vegas from Green Bay and subsequently signed to a five-year, $141.25 million deal ahead of the 2022 season, Adams has hauled in 95 receptions for 14 touchdowns and a franchise-record 1,443 yards in his current Pro Bowl campaign.
Adams was a boyhood Raiders fan who attended Palo Alto High. As he pointed out Wednesday, he was a supporter of the franchise before he knew Carr. The two starred together at Fresno State, and their 2022 reunion came to be in the aftermath of Carr calling up Adams after the Raiders' playoff loss last season. So it was little surprise that Adams took a bit of umbrage with Carr being benched prior to Week 17.
Jarrett Stidham took over the starting quarterback reins for Carr in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The former New England Patriots backup, who's no stranger to Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels' offense, performed well, completing 23 of 34 passes for 356 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Adams was responsible for seven of those completions, two of those TDs and 153 yards.
Adams has shined, whether it's been with a future Hall of Famer in Aaron Rodgers, Carr or backups such as Brett Hundley or Stidham.
Regardless of who ends up throwing him the ball in 2023, though, he would just like to be in the loop as it relates to where the franchise is headed.
"Me, Josh, [general manager Dave Ziegler], we've all got a really good dynamic and it's something that I really appreciate, and I've mentioned it to them as well," Adams said of his desire to be kept in the know regarding what's next at the QB position. "They don't have to do anything -- I'm not a part of the front office -- but obviously they know the reason why I came here. And a step like this is something that means a lot to me and my personal career and obviously what I'm trying to chase as far as the ultimate pursuit, to get that ring.
"We've got a good understanding for one another and that helps this whole process."
There is just one game left in the Raiders' 2022 season, but the whole process, it would seem, is just getting started.
