Pierce, Raiders ‘focused on Denver’ amid Davante Adams drama

HENDERSON, Nev. — Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce deflected questions in his weekly news conference Wednesday about reports of All-Pro receiver Davante Adams’ trade request and the Raiders’ willingness to deal him.

“Davante’s dealing with a hamstring,” Pierce said of Adams, who, as league sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter, was not expected to play Sunday at the Denver Broncos (2-2) because of his injury.

“He’s rehabbing, and the rest of us are focused on Denver.”

With the Raiders (2-2) preparing, Pierce was asked if Adams would be at the facility Wednesday.

“He’s supposed to be rehabbing,” Pierce said.

Asked about his verified Instagram account liking a post from Sports Illustrated two days earlier (the like was later removed) wondering if Adams had played his final game with Las Vegas, Pierce said, “Yeah, I’m just focused on Denver.”

Pierce, who sat out Sunday’s win over the Cleveland Browns because of his injury, was later asked where his relationship is with Adams, and Pierce said, “Me and Davante talk often.”

The last time he spoke to Adams?

“I’ll leave that between me and Davante,” Pierce said.

At the top of Adams’ trade wish list are the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints, league sources told ESPN’s Schefter, as Adams would want to reunite with a quarterback he played with in the past — Aaron Rodgers, for eight seasons with the Green Bay Packers, and Derek Carr, in college at Fresno State and for a season with the Raiders.

Adams really has had only Carr and Rodgers as his quarterbacks since high school. But since Carr was benched and later released by Las Vegas after the 2022 season, Adams has caught passes from Jarrett Stidham, Jimmy Garoppolo, Brian Hoyer, Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew.

Still, Pierce insisted he and the team were focused on Denver.

“It starts with me, because that’s my only focus,” Pierce said. “I get paid here to get ready each and every week for the opponent. I don’t blink. I don’t flinch. I don’t know, I’ve said it before, I’ve been through enough of my life with adversity and stuff that it doesn’t bother me. I just move forward.

“The next obstacle in front of me is the Denver Broncos, and that’s what I presented to my team and that’s what they’re doing right now in the meeting room. We’re about to go out to practice and do it versus the Broncos.”

It was a solemn mood in the Raiders locker room after practice and Adams was not there during media access.

“We’ve got to focus on the task at hand with who we have here,” Minshew said. “Obviously, everybody understands Davante’s situation and we all love Davante. But understand, he’s got to make the best decision for him, our team has to make the best decision for us — we’ve got to keep moving forward and try to figure out how to win games.”

Minshew shook his head when asked if not having Adams last weekend gave the Raiders a sense of security, given how relatively well the offense played.

“You always want great players on your team and, that’s like, what he is,” Minshew said of Adams. “I’ve learned so much from him. I think we’re still figuring out who we are with him. But nah, man, love having him out there. Hopefully get him back, but whatever happens, you know?”

Jakobi Meyers will continue to slide into Las Vegas’ WR1 role with Adams out.

“I’ve played in big moments,” Meyers said. “I’ve played and had to pull a lot of weight before. So, until we can kind of figure out what’s going on, I’m going to just keep my head down and, hopefully, we can do this together.

“I’m going to keep being me. That’s all I can do. Whatever they bring to me, I’ll be ready for it. I’ll handle it like I always do. But just keep being me, for sure.”

Meyers acknowledged the Adams situation is “going to be a distraction” but “it is what it is. We understand that. It’s just, really, more so making plays, regardless. It don’t matter what we … get hit with. Compartmentalizing and moving forward.”

So what is the tone Pierce, who took over as interim coach last Nov. 1 and was hired full time in January, is trying to set this week?

“Business as usual, just got to keep rolling,” he said. “This is the NFL, things come up every day. Since I’ve taken over this job, it’s been obstacles. This is another one.”