The Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams and the New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers had played together for almost a decade with the Green Bay Packers. But, the former one is a member of the Las Vegas Raiders, and the latter is of the New York Jets.
Rodgers is not playing due to recovering from his injury while Adams is continuing playing after going through a short setback. Though the quarterback is absent on the football field, he keeps monitoring the performance of his current and former teammates. After watching the Raiders’ week 5 match against the Packers, A-Rod is simply unhappy about the team’s approach regarding his former teammate.
Rodgers criticizes Raiders’ strategy with Adams
During his regular appearance on The Pat Mcafee Show on Tuesday, Rodgers said he was not pleased with the Raiders’ way of handling Adams, despite their 17-13 win against the Packers. The QB said he knows the caliber of his fellow teammate, and hence, the WR’s four targets against Green Bay seem very lackluster to him.
“Davante’s always open. Covered’ to him is just different than other people. … You just gotta stick with him. Listen, I watched the game last night. I love Davante. He’s still a dear friend of mine. I thought he handled everything really, really well. Because that game meant a lot to him. You know, going back against your former team. Four targets? That ain’t it.”
Adams caught four passes for 45 yards and recorded only one catch in the opening half while catching three passes on the drive that ensured Josh Jacobs’ touchdown. The Jets 39-year-old star thinks this performance doesn’t match the receiver’s potential, and said Las Vegas should deliver more opportunities to him on the field.
“You gotta give him an extra look, because he’s able to do things on different timing. The facts are what Davante Adams does at the line of scrimmage, what Davante does down the field, is like no one else can do. You have to give him opportunities.”
Aaron Rodgers on Davante Adams last night:
— NFL Retweet (@NFLRT) October 10, 2023
"Davante Adams is always open and that's the facts… Going up against his former team — four targets — that ain't it".
Davante Adams was targeted only 4 times last night and finished with 45 Yards 😳
pic.twitter.com/BNX6pFfwBY
The Las Vegas’ WR became the third-most targeted player in the NFL with 54 targets, including nine targets of the Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, but the four-time MVP thinks both players did their job well.
“Davante handled it the right way.He’s a pro. And Jimmy’s doing the best he can. … And they got the win, which is the most important thing. But if you wanna be dynamic …”
Besides talking about Adams, A-Rod had a special mention for Jordan Love who took over his spot in Green Bay. His successor threw three interceptions against the Packers, and hence, the Jets QB knew that a series of backlash was incoming for him. However, being in the league for almost two decades, Rodgers knew how to handle this criticism, and reached Jordan to boost his confidence.
When did Davante Adams get traded to the Raiders?
After being selected by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Davante Adams spent his entire youth with the team. In March 2022, he embarked on a new journey with the Las Vegas Raiders after being traded by his long-time NFL home. The Packers received a first-round pick (used to select Quay Walker at No. 22) and a second-round pick (used to select Christian Watson at No. 53) in exchange for Adams.
The decision came as the receiver refused to play under a franchise tag. Instead of jeopardizing their long-standing partnership, Green Bay decided to trade him to Las Vegas to reunite with his Fresno State teammate, Derek Carr. The Raiders remained committed to their then-new veteran by signing a blockbuster five-year, $140 million contract, which made him the highest-paid receiver at that time.
What’s your take on Adams performance in Las Vegas? Tell us in the comments.
