Davante Adams’ reasons for coming to the Raiders ran deep

By Case Keefer (contact)

Wednesday, March 23, 2022 | 2 a.m.

The drive from Davante Adams’ hometown of East Palo Alto, Calif., to Green Bay, Wisc., takes 35 hours not including stops.

Adams’ father doesn’t fly so he knows the route well according to the superstar wide receiver. That was something on the 29-year-old’s mind as he mulled his future the last couple months after eight seasons with the Green Bay Packers. So was the similar fact that none of his grandparents had ever seen him play a home game in the NFL.

“That’s stuff that really matters to me,” Adams said. “That’s stuff that really does weigh on my mind when there’s a decision to be made: Do I want to go through my whole career without having either of my grandparents from either side see me play? I didn’t like that.”

Family considerations were the primary motivator for Adams to push for the blockbuster trade to the Las Vegas Raiders that went through last week. In a 25-minute introductory news conference with media Tuesday at the Raiders’ Henderson headquarters, Adams didn’t give any credence to reasons many cited in rampant speculation about his departure from Green Bay.

He had nothing but positive things to say about the Packers despite he and the team having failed to agree on a long-term contract to keep him with the team for more than a year. Same with their back-to-back MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whom Adams praised on multiple occasions.

Adams even downplayed talk that a reunion with close friend and college teammate Derek Carr in Las Vegas was his masterplan and biggest draw to Las Vegas. It certainly helped, but to Adams, it was just “an idea” until he found out the trade was confirmed the same way as everyone else — through social media.

“It’s something we were definitely looking forward to down the road,” Adams said of playing with Carr. “But obviously, me playing in Green Bay was a great situation, having the greatest quarterback to play the game. That’s a dream, so I’ll never take anything away from what Green Bay gave me or Aaron gave me. It was an amazing opportunity to work over there and do what I did for almost a decade, but things change sometimes. It’s not the first time an impactful player to an organization had to leave.”

Adams’ departure following five straight Pro Bowl seasons in Green Bay boiled down to him doing the math and deciding he could find a better “quality of life” elsewhere. The Raiders signed him to the richest wide receiver contract in history after the trade — a five-year, $140 million deal with three years and $67 million guaranteed — to make that easier to achieve.

It’s the type of deal Adams has always sought, and one that was made more special because it came from the team he grew up rooting for. Adams shared that in his third-grade yearbook, he wrote that he wanted to become an NFL star next to a picture of him in a Charles Woodson jersey.

He’s been in Las Vegas since late last week and spoke of some “culture shock” but said the city offered “endless opportunities” that he wanted to capitalize on. Adams was disappointed his wife hasn’t been able to join him locally but she’s resting and pregnant with the couple’s second child.

“Derek has been bothering me to throw every day and I’m like, ‘Look man, I’ve got to sign, I’ve got to do all this stuff, figure out the logistics, make sure my wife isn’t in too much pain,” Adams said with a smile. “But we are ready to get to work and build on that connection we made more than a decade ago.”

Carr and Adams spent three years together at Fresno State, though the latter redshirted in 2011. They won a pair of Mountain West Conference championships in 2012 and 2013 before both being picked in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

They continued training together in the offseason until the Raiders moved to Las Vegas before the 2020 season in sessions that Adams said helped keep their connection sharp. He knows they’re going to need to tap back into that chemistry immediately playing in the AFC West.

The Raiders’ division looks like the best in football, with the Denver Broncos adding quarterback Russell Wilson this offseason and the Los Angeles Chargers making major upgrades to their defense. The Chargers’ prized free agent cornerback acquisition, J.C. Jackson, had a message for Adams and Raiders when asked in his own introductory news conference Tuesday.

“They better be ready for us,” Jackson said.

Adams stayed more diplomatic, praising the Chargers for adding “a few more pieces,” but also describing the current Raiders’ roster as “stacked.”

“This is the best division in football right now,” he said. “It would be hard not to say that even if I was in Green Bay right now honestly. It’s loaded. It’s not going to be easy but it’s something I’m looking forward to. I’m always looking forward to challenges.”

The migration of talent to the AFC West might have been a turn-off to some free agents or stars looking for new teams, but it played no role in Adams’ desire to get to Las Vegas. Neither did any irreparable relationships in Green Bay.

A factor that did have some sway, however, was the relatively quick 8.5-hour drive from where Adams started playing football as a junior at Palo Alto High to Allegiant Stadium.

“The turning point was really when I had to sit down and figure out what was best for me and my family,” Adams said. “It wasn’t just the teaming up with Derek. We didn’t scheme this all offseason or whatever.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or