We're really doing this, huh.
After a long morning – possibly the longest morning – full of various trade rumors, it's official: Davante Adams has requested a trade from the Raiders. The first whispers of it showed up on Monday, when Sports Illustrated's Fantasy Football analyst Michael Fabiano suggested that we've seen the last of Adams in a Raiders jersey. Then, after an incredibly awkward interview on Kay Adams' Up and Adams Show, Adams (the Raiders' one) went public with the request. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport was first to report the news:
RELATED: Raiders are in crisis mode after Davante Adams' latest Antonio Pierce comments
🚨 🚨 🚨 #Raiders star WR Davante Adams informed the team that he preferred to be traded, per me and @MikeGarafolo.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 1, 2024
There is nothing imminent, but a situation to watch for sure. pic.twitter.com/AAs5nxwqxl
There was a sense of inevitability to all of this, but it's still a little bit shocking to see this happen so far away from the trade deadline. We had at least four more pointless games of Gardner Minshew overthrows left! And while Rapoport admits that "nothing is imminent," it's not like the Raiders are going to have him suit up and play while they're trying to send him elsewhere. Like Fabiano mentioned, it does feel like we've seen the last of Adams in the Silver and Black. Case in point: things are already progressing enough to know what terms the Raiders are working with. Shortly after the news broke, ESPN's Adam Schefter followed up with some more details.
Here's what the Raiders are asking for in any possible Davante Adams trade
ESPN sources: Raiders have informed other teams that they would “consider” trading WR Davante Adams for a package that would include a second-round pick and additional compensation. pic.twitter.com/RtRrhUeYKi
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 1, 2024
"Additional compensation" is doing a lot of heavy lifting here, but you get the general picture. A second-round pick wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, although the idea of giving up Adams – who still looks like he's in his prime – for the, like, 58th overall pick in next year's draft is a little underwhelming. Ideally "additional compensation" is front office speak for "an actual skill player or two that can contribute in any meaningful way," or "literally any offensive lineman."
Things in Las Vegas are about to get a whole lot worse before they get better. All Antonio Pierce had to do was not like an Instagram post! It's so simple! Turns out we all should have taken that mic'd up moment about Adams wanting to get out of Vegas before he got hurt a little more seriously. All I ask is that he doesn't go join up with Aaron Rodgers. That feels like a reasonable request.