The Las Vegas Raiders have certainly looked a heck of a lot better since Antonio Pierce took over as head coach, and wide receiver Davante Adams spoke about the improvement this week.
“I don’t know if the team’s like, ‘Oh let’s go and ball out for AP to get the job.’ That’s not really the thought process of the guys,” Adams said, via Sean Zittel of Vegas Sports Today. “It’s more about playing as hard as you can for the man himself, and then those things work themselves out. It definitely gives him a better shot.”
The Raiders have gone 4-3 since Pierce took over for Josh McDaniels as interim head coach at the end of October. Most recently, Las Vegas topped the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 20-14 on Christmas Day. The week prior, the Raiders dropped 63 points on the Los Angeles Chargers in a historic 42-point win.
“I’m definitely rooting for him,” continued Adams. “I love the guy, I love what he’s brought, his mentality, his passion for the game is undeniable. You can see it everyday. His evolution as far as even speaking to the team, the head coach-ness of the deal is something you’ve got to learn, come into your own … he’s done a great job of that. Ever since he spoke to us when we had our deal before Josh left, he left a lasting impression on everyone, definitely me.”
Adams is in his second season with the Raiders after coming over in a blockbuster trade with the Green Bay Packers in March 2022. He has caught 85 passes for 972 yards and five touchdowns this year.
The 31-year-old expressed some displeasure with Las Vegas earlier this year, but that was prior to the Raiders replacing McDaniels with Pierce and firing general manager Dave Ziegler.
Adams, who played his collegiate football at Fresno State, was originally selected by the Packers in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
He spent the first eight seasons of his career in Green Bay, making five trips to the Pro Bowl and earning a couple of First-Team All-Pro selections.
Davante Adams hauled in 100 receptions for 1,516 yards and a league-leading 14 touchdowns in his first season with the Raiders, making another Pro Bowl appearance an notching First-Team All-Pro honors yet again.
Las Vegas is 7-8 and will take on the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday. It will then take on the Denver Broncos to wrap up the regular season on Jan. 7.
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