Sources – Davante Adams is a weekly pick for the Raiders

Sources - Davante Adams is a weekly pick for the Raiders

Adam Schefter, ESPN Senior Writer Sep 28, 2024, 9:34pm ET

Close ESPN NFL Insider joined ESPN in 2009 and is a former president of the Pro Football Writers Association of America and the author of four books

Davante Adams limped in the final minutes of Las Vegas Raiders practice on Thursday, grabbing his hamstring with an injury that was expected to sideline the star-level receiver on a weekly basis, league sources told ESPN.

The Raiders didn’t try to pretend that Adams could play Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, ruling him out on Friday in an indication that this could turn into a multi-week absence.

As one source told ESPN this weekend, wide receivers and hamstring injuries are not a good combination. Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown injured his hamstring on Friday before Philadelphia’s Week 2 game against the Atlanta Falcons and will miss his third straight game on Sunday.

The Raiders were already in the midst of a tumultuous week in which they pondered but ultimately chose not to change their quarterback. Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said he will make some “business decisions” before losing Adams and Pro Bowl defenseman Maxx Crosby to injuries.

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Crosby was suffering from a high left ankle sprain suffered near the end of the Raiders’ Week 2 win over Baltimore, and he attempted to play through the injury during last Sunday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers.

Pierce told reporters after the embarrassing 36-22 home loss that he believes “there were certainly some individuals who made business decisions, and we will make business decisions in the future as well.”

Those comments have led to speculation that the Raiders might consider trading Adams, but that’s not currently an option — nor was it last summer.

The Raiders declined several teams that approached them over the summer, inquiring whether Adams would be available in a trade, according to league sources. According to sources, the Raiders considered the Adams trade unprincipled and rejected at least two teams before making the offer.

As for the quarterback position, the Raiders chose to stick with current veteran Gardner Minshew over Aidan O’Connell. But the quarterback competition has been so close throughout training camp and into this season that Minchio will start against the Browns, but O’Connell could be called up at any time, according to league sources.

Sources from the team said they believe Mincio will keep the position as long as he plays well and the team wins.

With Adams sidelined, Minchio will have to rely on other pass rushers like Jacoby Myers and rookie Brock Powers against Cleveland.

The Raiders are adjusting to life without Adams. When they played in the preseason last summer, Adams was away from the team to be with his pregnant wife, who gave birth to the couple’s first son.

“Collectively, no one needs to be Davante Adams,” Pierce said Friday. “I don’t need another Davante. There’s only one, right? I just need the best version of Jacoby Myers.”

“We’ll see what happens on Sunday, but we’re really feeling it [positive] “We give these players the last 12 hours and now today and tomorrow to prepare for the game.”

Adams has 18 catches for 209 yards and a touchdown through three games. The last time he missed a game was in 2021 with the Green Bay Packers. Bowers, the Raiders’ first-round pick at No. 13 overall, leads all NFL tight ends with 18 catches for 197 yards and figures to be more involved.

ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez contributed to this report.

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