The Las Vegas Raiders‘ playoff hopes for this season took a significant blow when they traded star wide receiver Davante Adams to the New York Jets. With a 2-4 record and the league’s 27th-ranked offense, the Raiders are likely headed for an early offseason, but owner Mark Davis seems unfazed by the trade that sent his marquee player packing.
“I’m used to it,” Davis told NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. “I’ve grown up in this sport. There is the business side of the building and the football side of the building. The football side is tough love, man. I’ve seen my best friend, Cliff Branch, have to retire. I’ve seen all these guys, at some point in time, they said I’ve got to hang it up or this or that. You get really tough, thick skin.”
Despite the tough talk, the Raiders’ struggles in recent years tell a different story, as the franchise has struggled to regain any sort of momentum since its 10-7 campaign in 2021 that ended in a Wild Card loss. In 2022, the Raiders made a bold move by trading first- and second-round picks for Adams, hoping to pair him with his college quarterback Derek Carr. The gamble, however, didn’t pay off, as the team finished 6-11 that season.
Things only worsened in the offseason as Carr was released after refusing to waive his no-trade clause, and the 2023 season quickly became a mess. Head coach Josh McDaniels was fired midway through the year, and the team shuffled through quarterbacks like Jimmy Garoppolo, Aidan O’Connell, and Brian Hoyer. Adams, frustrated by the lack of both team and personal success, eventually requested a trade.
The Raiders’ midseason promotion of Antonio Pierce to head coach provided a brief spark, but the team continued to look disjointed. Pierce publicly questioned the team’s effort following a Week 3 loss to the Carolina Panthers, further illustrating the Raiders’ dysfunction.
Adams’ trade to the Jets netted Las Vegas a conditional third-round pick, which could become a second-rounder, but the move leaves the Raiders searching for an identity. With both Adams and Carr gone and a first-time head coach at the helm, the rest of the season looks bleak for the franchise.
Their next challenge comes in Week 7, when they face the Los Angeles Rams in their first game since the Adams trade. Whether or not they can find a path forward remains to be seen, but for now, the Raiders appear to be a team in flux.
