'My benchmark ... is greatness': Raiders WR Davante Adams expresses frustration with role

The Las Vegas Raiders won, but Davante Adams still wants more.

The star receiver had been vocal about his frustrations with losing games, but indicated Wednesday that he wants a larger role in the Raider offense.

"I'm sure people are thinking, 'They won the game, so why is there an issue?'" Adams told reporters. "When you're a player like me, mentally my benchmark is not wins and losses, it's greatness. So when I go out there, I expect to have that ability to put that on the table and have an influence on the game. That's my purpose for being here.

"I came here to win and to do it the right way, so if it doesn't look like it's supposed to look, then I'm going to be frustrated if I'm not part of that plan."

Adams, 30, is a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro who has seen his production drop through six games this season.

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The Raiders rank 24th in total offense (292.3 yards per game), 14th in passing offense (218.8) and are tied for 27th in scoring offense (16.7 points per game).

Adams ranks 12th in the NFL in receiving yards (471), ninth in catches (39) and is tied for 10th in receiving touchdowns (three), but he has had a reduced role over the last two games. Though they were both victories, Adams drew only nine targets and caught six for 74 yards.

Adams stressed that his comments weren't a shot at the Raiders coaching staff, but merely a statement that the Las Vegas quarterbacks need to feed him the ball more. His head coach, Josh McDaniels, agreed.

"The game is different for them because they’ve achieved a certain status, and they want to contribute every single time that they’re out there as much as they can," McDaniels said Wednesday. "So that’s part of them being them. I would never tell them to squash that. (Adams has) been a great leader, a great influence."

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Jimmy Garoppolo is in his first season as quarterback of the Raiders, but he has faced injuries that have led to both Brian Hoyer and Aidan O'Connell getting playing time. Previously, Adams was one of the top receivers in football while a member of the Green Bay Packers, catching passes from then-quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Green Bay traded Adams to the Raiders in March 2022 for first- and second-round selections in that year's draft. He was effective last season, catching 100 passes on a career-high 180 targets for 1,516 yards and an NFL-best 14 touchdowns. He has reached at least 100 receptions and 1,000 yards in four of the past five seasons, constantly drawing double teams and attention from defenses.

"I'm not naive," Adams said. "At the end of the day, it's not easy throwing to somebody who gets the coverage that I get."

Adams' comments drew scrutiny and criticism from fans and media, given that they came after a pair of Raiders victories. On Thursday morning, Adams added some context in a social media response to a post from a local reporter, indicating that winning is his priority.

"It's not about me," Adams said Wednesday, "but I'm one of the bigger pieces as to why this offense is going to go."