Davante Adams said he hasn’t spoken with Antonio Pierce since a social media account associated with the Las Vegas Raiders coach liked a post wondering whether the star wide receiver had played his last down with the team.
Adams, appearing Tuesday on the “Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams,” was asked about the verified account linked to Pierce liking the Instagram post from Sports Illustrated. The Pierce account’s like has since been removed from the SI post.
“I haven’t heard from him. I haven’t talked to him,” Davante Adams said when asked if he’s heard from Pierce. “… Social media is a beast so it’s a lot of people out there that saw it and wondering what’s going on and reaching out.”
Told by Kay Adams that a lot of people think he has played his last down with the Raiders, Davante Adams said, “All I can control is this talk we’re having right here and after we’re done with this all I can control is the next thing that I’m on to.”
Adams missed the Raiders’ Week 4 victory over the Cleveland Browns with a hamstring injury he suffered Thursday in practice. The injury is expected to sideline him on a week-to-week basis, league sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter over the weekend.
Adams said Tuesday that he’s “trying to get healthy and doing everything that I can to stay on top of that because the worst thing you can do especially with a situation like a hammy is trying to force it, get out there and do long-term damage because you’re trying to be greedy and not understand the process. Not fun at all not being out there but I think my teammates will appreciate it more for the long run.”
The Raiders’ victory over the Browns came a week after Pierce told reporters after an embarrassing home loss to the Carolina Panthers that he thought “there were definitely some individuals that made business decisions, and we’ll make business decisions going forward as well.” Pierce apologized for those comments Sunday.
However, his original comments led to speculation the Raiders would consider trading Adams, but that is not currently an option — nor was it one last summer.
The Raiders rejected multiple teams that approached them over the summer, inquiring whether Adams would be available in a trade, league sources told Schefter over the weekend. The Raiders considered an Adams trade a nonstarter and turned away at least two teams before an offer could even be made, the sources told Schefter.
There has been consistent speculation that the New York Jets would be interested in trading for Adams to reunite him with Aaron Rodgers, his longtime quarterback with the Green Bay Packers. There also has been speculation that the Kansas City Chiefs might target Adams after Rashee Rice suffered a knee injury last Sunday.
Adams said Tuesday the constant trade rumors are “annoying.”
“It gets annoying for sure but I’m one of those players that people like to talk about, one way or the other. Thank God that he blessed me with the ability to just focus in on what I need to focus in on and not get sidetracked by any of the outside noise,” he said.
He added, “You know, it’s just kind of the weekly, ‘what’s up with Tae’ thing. There’s always some sort of drama. At the end of the day, 17 doesn’t create any of it, so people can say what they want but I’m just chilling trying to be the model for not stirring the pot and just locking in and doing what I got to do.”
Adams created a bit of a stir in the Raiders’ building this offseason with several of his comments on the Netflix series “Receiver.”
During a sideline venting session in a Week 6 game against the New England Patriots, a game in which Adams was hit repeatedly, Adams said, “I got to get the f— out of here before I lose my f—ing life. I ain’t never been hit this many f—ing times in my career. Every game, I get f—ed up.”
While the comments themselves grabbed attention, the fact that Adams, as a willing participant in the series, allowed them to be aired is what raised eyebrows.
“I watched pieces of it, but there’s nothing to talk about,” Pierce said at the start of training camp. “Davante signed up for the show, there were things said and shown and it is what it is. You can’t erase it.”
Adams then missed the final two weeks of camp to return home for the birth of his son. And after Adams said he would prefer to not play in the preseason and Pierce said all starters would suit up for the Raiders’ exhibition finale, Adams was “sore” after an “awkward movement” in practice that kept him sidelined.
ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez contributed to this report.