Report expands on why Davante Adams wanted to leave Raiders

After the Las Vegas Raiders traded wide receiver Davante Adams to the New York Jets this week, stories shared by The Athletic and ESPN detailed how Adams' relationship with the Raiders was never the same after the club parted ways with Derek Carr, Adams' college quarterback, in February 2023. 

For a piece published Friday, ESPN's Rich Cimini and Paul Gutierrez explained how the Raiders holding an underwhelming quarterback competition this summer between 2023 fourth-round draft pick Aidan O'Connell and journeyman Gardner Minshew sparked the beginning of the end of Adams' time with the organization. 

"[Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce] wanted Adams to be more of a vocal leader this season, according to team sources," Cimini and Gutierrez revealed. "Adams, those sources said, believed he had a voice in personnel matters and was all-in on the Raiders trading up to draft a top-tier QB like Jayden Daniels, or acquiring a more accomplished veteran like Justin Fields. But when the Raiders settled on Minshew and a returning O'Connell, frustration grew for Adams, team sources said."

The Raiders explored moving up in this year's draft order to acquire Daniels after the Chicago Bears traded Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, Las Vegas found that the clubs holding the draft's top three choices "weren't moving off their picks," the Washington Commanders ultimately made Daniels the second overall selection. 

According to Cimini and Gutierrez, the Raiders "were stunned when Adams" requested a trade after he missed the Week 4 win over the Cleveland Browns because of a hamstring injury. 

"The Raiders were shocked not so much by the request but by the timing of it," Cimini and Gutierrez added. 

Adams missed three games because of the reported hamstring issue and hasn't played against a live defense since Sept. 22. With that said, he looked healthy in his first workouts with the Jets. It's clear that the 31-year-old wanted to reunite with New York's Aaron Rodgers, Adams' quarterback with the Green Bay Packers from 2014 through the 2021 season, for some time. 

While the Raiders are in the middle of a rebuild, the 2-4 Jets are a win-now team looking to turn its season around, beginning with the upcoming "Sunday Night Football" game against the 4-2 Pittsburgh Steelers. As of late Friday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Jets as 1.5-point favorites over the Steelers.