The situation with Davante Adams has come up just as the Las Vegas Raiders prepare to face the Denver Broncos, aiming to extend their surprising winning streak against them to nine games.
Despite past troubles, the Raiders have maintained their strong performance against their division rivals.
In 2021, they won in Denver shortly after Jon Gruden resigned, giving Rich Bisaccia a victory in his first game as interim head coach. The following year, in Las Vegas, Josh McDaniels earned his first win as head coach since being let go by Denver in 2010.
The Raiders (2-2) have reportedly talked to several teams since Monday, when Adams, who missed last week’s game due to a hamstring injury, expressed a desire to play somewhere else.
“Davante’s dealing with a hamstring (injury),” said Raiders coach Antonio Pierce. “He’s rehabbing, and the rest of us are focusing on Denver.”
While the Raiders might not be focused on Adams, the Broncos (2-2) certainly are.
They have spent considerable time preparing as if they will face Adams on Sunday, coinciding with a tribute to their “Orange Crush” defense, which helped them reach their first Super Bowl in 1977.
Broncos coach Sean Payton recalled a time in 2013 when he didn’t prepare for an injured DeMarcus Ware, which resulted in a tough lesson when Ware pressured Saints QB Drew Brees throughout the game.
The Broncos, who broke a 16-game losing streak against the Kansas City Chiefs last year, haven’t defeated the Raiders since December 29, 2019, when Shelby Harris stopped Derek Carr’s pass to Hunter Renfrow, securing a 16-15 win for Denver on the last weekend of the regular season.
