The Las Vegas Raiders have a mess on their hands with disgruntled wide receiver Davante Adams seeking a trade right before the team’s divisional showdown with the Denver Broncos in Week 5.
Regardless of whether or not a trade materializes this week, Adams is not expected to play against the Broncos on Sunday.
Denver’s defense is still preparing to face the receiver, though, just in case.
“I learned a lesson in 2013, I’ve probably told you [about it before],” Broncos coach Sean Payton said Wednesday. “DeMarcus Ware didn’t practice Wednesday and didn’t practice Thursday. We did our third-down plan. There wasn’t — we were 13-0 at this time and there wasn’t the proper attention given to if he would play.
“Then here it is Saturday night and he’s running through the tunnel. [He had a] sack, [a forced] fumble and three other sacks. That same year then in the Super Bowl, [Dwight] Freeney was questionable. We’re preparing for the starters. It was just a tough coaching lesson learned back in 2013.”
Reports are that Raiders WR Davante Adams is not expected to play vs. the Broncos on Sunday, but Sean Payton will prepare as though Adams will be in the lineup, and a former Broncos great — DeMarcus Ware — is the reason why.
Payton explains: pic.twitter.com/FMtPrbQtcw
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) October 2, 2024
So the defense will be prepared if Adams does dress for Sunday’s game, but that seems extremely unlikely. In six career games against Denver, Adams has hauled in 32 catches for 418 yards and three touchdowns, so it will be a big loss for the Raiders if he does not play in Week 5.
