Fowler: Davante Adams Not Expected To Play Against Steelers

As the Davante Adams trade saga continues to roll along, the wide receiver isn’t expected to play in Week 6 against the Steelers due to a nagging hamstring injury, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Adams is Las Vegas’ top receiving option, but he requested a trade out of Las Vegas last week, and this will be the third game he misses with the hamstring injury. Ian Rapoport had reported over the weekend that Adams was expected to be healthy enough to play against the Steelers, but something obviously changed there, and it seems like Adams might be staying put in Vegas for another week, as Rapoport said a deadline for a trade to happen this week would be Tuesday.

With Adams out, the Raiders will rely more heavily on WRs Jakobi Meyers, D.J. Turner and Tre Tucker against the Steelers. Who will be throwing them the ball remains as a question, as Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce hasn’t decided yet whether Gardner Minshew II or Aidan O’Connell will start against Pittsburgh. Minshew has started every game this season but was pulled in Week 5 against the Denver Broncos after throwing his second interception of the game.

That’s a big decision looming for Las Vegas, but whoever starts will have a much more difficult job with Adams now expected to be out.

On the trade front, Pittsburgh is involved with discussions for Adams, although he reportedly prefers to go to the New York Jets or New Orleans Saints, where he can reunite with either Aaron Rodgers or Derek Carr. But there’s no doubt that the Steelers need a high-end receiver, and Adams would fit the bill well.

It’s good news for Pittsburgh’s defense that he’s going to be out on Sunday, as Adams is a receiver capable of wrecking the opposition’s game plan. The Steelers are hoping he’s doing that in Pittsburgh by the end of the season, but he won’t be doing it against them or anyone until his hamstring can heal.