Just when we thought we had seen the last of Davante Adams with the Las Vegas Raiders, head coach Antonio Pierce left the door open for the star wide receiver to play for the team again.
Pierce spoke to the media on Wednesday before practice and noted that Adams is still working his way back from his hamstring injury that has sidelined him the past two games.
But he also threw in this nugget: Adams could play for the Raiders again once he's fully healthy, and Pierce also noted he has spoken to the wide receiver recently.
“He's still a Raider," Pierce said of Adams, per ESPN's Paul Gutierrez. "When he's healthy and he can play, we’ll play him. He's just not healthy right now. He's getting closer, though, that’s the good part. He's working every day to get that hamstring right. He’s in the right head space, mentally. Like I said, we talked recently and had a good conversation and he's ready to play football.”
Adams requested a trade last week and the Raiders have been fielding calls since then, so it would be shocking if Adams does indeed suit up for the Raiders again.
It's possible this is just a smokescreen from Pierce, who could be hoping the threat of Adams staying will force teams to be more aggressive and meet the Raiders at — or come closer to — their demand for a second-round pick, plus additional compensation.
To be quite frank, the Raiders would be foolish to go back on trading Adams, or even to let him play until he's dealt. If Adams gets hurt, his trade value will take a hit, and it could be wiped out entirely if he gets seriously hurt.
The truth is, this team will teeter around .500 at best this season and would be wise to start the process of selling off players to gain assets for the future. Adams is the best asset the Raiders have outside of Maxx Crosby, who won't be traded.
