What a difference a week makes.
A feel-good win for the Raiders over the Ravens was followed by an embarrassing loss to the Panthers, prompting head coach Antonio Pierce to promise changes.
The first-year head coach criticized some of his players for the poor performance that resulted in a 36-22 loss to a previously winless Panthers team.
“No, they didn’t show up,” Pierce said after a reporter asked if the team had shown up.
“As the game progressed, some individuals made business decisions. That’s why we will continue to make business decisions in the future.”
The Raiders defense made Andy Dalton, who was named the starter this week after two terrible performances from Bryce Young, the third-best passer in QBR (86.9) in Week 3.
It’s hard to say which players Pierce was referring to, but the body language of star receiver Davante Adams, who appeared disgusted at halftime, certainly left a lot to be desired.
“I feel like, I don’t know, it’s hard for me to identify that. I’m not sure,” Adams said when asked about Pierce’s comment, according to ESPN.
Adams sat on the bench as his teammates streamed into the locker room, trailing 21-7, looking for answers to this terrible performance.
Adams is unlikely to be on the team next year because his contract contains an opt-out clause that could free Las Vegas from a salary cap of $44.1 million, the highest salary of any non-QB in 2025.
Adams would have a wide range of suitors for the Raiders and would certainly land a draft pick that would be worth a trade.
Given his long-standing relationship with star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Jets could be among the potential transfer suitors, with the Chiefs and Saints also in the running.
In the Netflix documentary “Receiver,” Adams was seen harshly criticizing the team’s former quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, and leaked that he was involved in the decision to bench the veteran quarterback last season.
Gardner Minshew is the starter in Las Vegas this year and Adams has 18 catches for 209 yards and a touchdown in the team’s 1-2 start.
Adams was only the fourth-best receiver on Sunday, despite receiving most of his team targets from Minshew with nine passes.
The NFL transfer deadline is November 5th.
