Davante Adams admits he's growing frustrated with role in Raiders' offense

The Las Vegas Raiders got back to .500 last weekend with a 27-17 win over the New England Patriots that brought their record to 3-3 on the season. But it wasn’t all smiles for the entire Raiders team following the win.

Star wide receiver Davante Adams ended Sunday’s game with two catches for 29 yards, and afterward was brutally honest about his frustration regarding his involvement in the offense.

“I’m a human being and I have extremely high standards for myself in this offense,” Adams said. I’m sure people are thinking, ‘They won the game, why is there an issue?’ I mean, you see why it’s an issue. Y’all should know who I am, know what I’m about at this point … when you’re a player like me, mentally, my benchmark is not wins and losses — it’s greatness. So when I go out there, I expect to be able to have that ability to put that on tape and have an influence on the game. That’s my purpose for being here. I’m not here just to hang out; I came here to win and to do it the right way.”

Adams had just five targets versus the Patriots after having just four the week prior versus the Green Bay Packers. And even though both games resulted in wins for Las Vegas, Adams rightfully would like to see himself more involved in the offensive gameplan and execution.

“So if it don’t look like it’s supposed to look, then I’m going to be frustrated if I’m not a part of that plan. Because I have the opportunity to go and change that and make it look like a much better picture out there. And if that doesn’t happen, then I’m going to be frustrated. If Jacobi [Meyers] goes out and has a monster game or if the offense is scoring every five plays, like our first drive on the Bills, then it is what it is. It’s not about me, but I’m one of the bigger pieces as to why this offense is going to go. And if I’m not getting it, then that’s obviously not according to plan.”

Adams signed a five-year, $141.25 million deal with the Raiders in 2022 following an eight-year stint with the Packers. He has four 1,000+ yard seasons, six Pro Bowl selections, and three First-Team All-Pro selections to his name, and while a resume like that does come with an expectation of receiving touches, it also comes with extra attention from defenses.

“I mean, I’m not naïve,” Adams said. “At the end of the day, it’s not easy throwing to somebody who gets the coverages that I get. It’s a lot of attention, a lot more than, what I’m sure Jimmy [Garoppolo], Derek [Carr], [Brian] Hoyer, whoever we got out there, Aidan [O’Connell], it’s a lot more complex picture that they’re looking at than the numbers that we’re studying throughout the week.”

“It’s just the way that it is, so I’m aware of that and I know that it’s not easy, but I’ve done it and I even did it last year and we’ve had flashes this year making it happen. But we’ve got to have it on a more consistent basis in order for us to be the offense that we want to be.”

Hopefully, the Raiders can find a way to keep rattling off wins and keep their star wide receiver happy in the process, and their next game may serve as the perfect opportunity, as they face a Chicago Bears defense that’s given up the third-most total yards in the air so far this season.