Raiders’ star affirms commitment to team: ‘This is where I want to be’
Davante Adams tried to put to bed any speculation he may have wanted to leave the Raiders this offseason Sunday.
The star wide receiver held a youth camp at Spring Valley High School and reaffirmed his commitment to the team.
“I can’t sit here and ponder about every thought I’ve had, but I wouldn’t say I ever have wanted to be gone,” Adams said.
“I want to be a Raider. Hopefully that answers everyone’s question.”
Adams has caught at least 100 passes each of his two seasons with the Raiders, his favorite team growing up. But all that production has yet to lead to a playoff berth in Las Vegas.
“I picked to come here,” Adams said. “This is where I want to be. Obviously, if you’re not winning and things aren’t going the way you want, you either want to see things change to head in the right direction or something else has to change. But I don’t want to go anywhere.”
Adams, 31, has three seasons left on the five-year contract he signed in 2022.
He remains one of the top players in the game and has been vocal about his desire to win with the Raiders. He believes the organization made the right move by making Antonio Pierce its full-time coach this offseason. He was one of a number of players who made it clear they felt Pierce was the right man for the job.
“We weren’t just doing that to hang out with (Pierce),” Adams said. “He’s a great coach and a great guy. It’s obviously a great fit for this team. Definitely looking forward to it.”
It helps that Pierce’s thinking and mentality are in line with many of his players. Everyone is on the same page.
“That’s what you want,” Adams said. “As a leader of this team, you want the head guy to be with what you have going on. Being aligned there makes it so much easier. We don’t have to have half the conversations that you would probably have to have with another coach that doesn’t see it the same way. We both just want to win so having that same kind of common denominator helps us both.”
There remains work to do. Adams acknowledged the Raiders are not a finished product. New general manager Tom Telesco tweaked the roster in free agency and will make more alterations in this month’s draft to give the team a chance to compete.
Adams in particular was impressed with the addition of defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. Adams called Wilkins a “hell of a player” and the kind of “big, goofy dude” he enjoys.
“I’m excited but there’s a lot more work that can be done and needs to be done for us to really talk how we want to talk,” Adams said. “That’s how I’ve always been is I have to be the type of guy that is about business and not just about talk and if I’m going to be that way, I expect that from everyone else.”
Adams said his offseason routine has been set over the years. He takes some time off before easing back into training.
He broke from his normal script this season, however. Adams and his wife Devanne announced they are expecting their third child, a son who is due in August. Adams joked he and his wife have been playing man-to-man defense with their two daughters. Now they may have to work in some zone.
“I’m still drawing some (stuff) up, so we’ll see how it goes,” Adams said, laughing. “But I don’t think anyone can perfect the zone. There’s going to be some gaps in there, but we’ll make it work.”
Adams got a little practice Sunday at his camp.
He and a small army of volunteers took time to work on football skills with a large contingent of kids. He’s hosted the event three straight years in Las Vegas after holding six previously in his native Bay Area.
“The feedback they give is why we continue to come out here,” Adams said. “We show up and the kids love it and it’s really a great time for me.”
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
