Davante Adams addresses Hall of Fame remarks about Derek Carr

On some level, Davante Adams probably saw this coming.

Leaving the Green Bay Packers for the Raiders and trading the partnership he’d forged with future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers for a new collaboration with Derek Carr, it was inevitable any time he talked about either quarterback a headline would emerge.

Keep in mind, too, the fine line Adams now walks leaving a quarterback whose place in Canton is almost certainly established for one he is trying to help push to that level. One who just happens to be his former college teammate and arguably his closest friend.

The balancing act includes trying to make sure any reference he makes to Rodgers doesn’t come off as a slight against Carr, his current quarterback and someone whose confidence and level of play will go a long way toward determining whether Adams and the Raiders reach their ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl.

So, of course, Adams is going to have Carr’s back every single time.

But as we’ve already seen, that can lead to some interesting comments. And even more fascinating reactions.

Like when Adams explained to CBS Sports this week the transition he was making going from Rodgers to Carr. In doing so, he implied Carr was already a shoo-in for pro football’s highest honor.

“Any time you change quarterbacks from Hall of Famer to Hall of Famer,” Adams began, before wrapping up by saying. “It’s going to be a little bit of an adjustment.”

Needless to say, Adams created a firestorm by suggesting Carr and Rodgers were one and the same, at least in terms of Hall of Fame credentials. It was the second time Adams has seemingly insinuated the quarterbacks are on equal footing since joining the Raiders last March.

In each case, it caused a big reaction.

No surprise, then, that Adams was already bracing for follow-up questions when he met with the media Sunday for the first time since apparently inducting his best friend into the Hall of Fame.

“I’ve been waiting for this,” Adams said, smiling.

Although even he admitted he had his own reaction when he actually read his comments.

“I didn’t deliver that message the way that I had in my head,” Adams said. “So later, when I saw it written out, it kind of made my stomach drop a little bit.”

That said, knowing full well the importance of looking out for his new quarterback, Adams wasn’t about to backtrack from suggesting Carr is worthy of Hall of Fame consideration. If not now, at some point.

“What I’m not going to do is say Derek is not going to be a Hall of Famer,” Adams said.

What he did do was try to add some nuance and perspective. And he did it by pointing out the three key elements that make a great rapper — bars, lines and delivery — and how he fell short on the delivery part.

“I was not a great rapper the other day,” Adams said. “I left one key word out.”

That word being: “even.”

As in, even if he was going from Rodgers to Tom Brady there would be a learning curve and transition process right now.

“Even if it’s Hall of Famer to Hall of Famer, there’s going to be an adjustment,” Adams said. “I wasn’t saying Hall of Famer Aaron to Hall of Famer Derek.”

Adams had fun with the whole thing, for the most part. But his own reaction to what he said, coupled with his insistence on clarifying his comments in a way that still protected Carr, offered a glimpse into his high-level conscientiousness. The wide receiver position is sometimes a high-maintenance proposition, but in Adams, the Raiders have a star player with a keen sense of what makes a good team and locker room.

From always having Carr’s back to trying to blend in with fellow impact players like Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow organically rather than forcefully, you get the sense Adams offers the perfect blend between dominant player and mindful teammate.

It doesn’t mean he won’t create a headline from time to time. But even with the controversial ones, his heart is in the right place.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.