In receiver Davante Adams’ first regular-season game with the Las Vegas Raiders, against the Los Angeles Chargers, the ball distribution from quarterback Derek Carr went about as expected. Carr threw to his former Fresno State teammate 15 times, and Adams caught 10 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown. That’s about what you’d want from an above-average quarterback throwing to the NFL’s best receiver, particularly a receiver for whom the Raiders gave up as much as they did.
In March, the Raiders gave the Green Bay Packers their first- and a second-round pick — the 22nd and 53rd selections in the 2022 draft — for Adams, and they then signed Adams to a five-year, $140 million contract with $65.67 million in guaranteed money. Adams chose his college teammate over Aaron Rodgers, and given the ways in which Adams can just scorch any pass defense, it was clear that the Raiders saw Adams as the final key to unlock their passing game under new head coach and offensive shot-caller Josh McDaniels.
