Stop me if you’ve heard this before.
The Las Vegas Raiders have a seemingly disgruntled No. 1 wide receiver who is arguably the best at his position and a no-doubt Hall of Famer. Given that it’s 2023, you probably know I’m referring to Davante Adams, particularly after his blow-up on the Raiders’ sideline during their loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday night.
But if you’re familiar with NFL history in the 21st century, you understand that the Raiders have a precedent with making their receivers frustrated. This already happened with Randy Moss — perhaps the greatest outside playmaker in pro football history.
After Davante Adams slams his helmet:
"Yeah, that's the frustration that comes with playing the way that the Raiders have all season on offense… Back in the heyday of Monday Night Football, this is about when Dandy Don would start crooning."- Troy Aikman pic.twitter.com/Hy4LvLTwRj
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 31, 2023
Once upon a time, Moss languished with the Raiders from 2005 to 2006. After a disappointing first year of just over 1,000 yards, Moss’s production fell off a cliff in his second season. The Raiders would eventually trade him to the New England Patriots, who promptly revitalized his career and turned him back into a First-Team All-Pro.
A similar conversation surrounds Adams now. Even at the age of 30, he’s clearly still near the top of his game. But a dreadful Jimmy Garoppolo is dragging down what Adams could theoretically accomplish. If Las Vegas doesn’t trade Adams before the Halloween deadline, it could get messier between Adams and Las Vegas before it gets better. For Adams’ case, you hope he gets a similar result to Moss with New England. (The Kansas City Chiefs?)
NFL fans all made the same Adams-to-Moss connection.