Maxx Crosby says he isn’t trying to focus too hard on the Davante Adams situation in Las Vegas.
After all, he said following the Raiders’ 34-18 loss to the Broncos on Sunday afternoon in Denver, it’s nothing new for him.
“You think I’m not used to this s**t going on? It is what it is. I’ve been dealing with it my whole career,” Crosby said. “It is what it is.”
Days after Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce appeared to publicly endorse on social media the idea of trading Adams, Adams reportedly then told the team that he also prefers to be traded. The Raiders reportedly have been reaching out to teams to “gauge interest” in Adams.
Adams reportedly would prefer to play for the New York Jets or New Orleans Saints, though it’s unclear how much progress, if any, has been made on a potential trade.
The wide receiver did not play Sunday due to a hamstring injury. That injury, which is reportedly legitimate despite the questionable timing, isn’t expected to keep Adams out long term.
Adams has 209 yards and a touchdown on 18 catches over three games this season, his third with the Raiders. The 31-year-old had 1,144 yards and eight touchdowns last season, which marked his fourth consecutive year with at least 1,000 receiving yards. Adams is in the third year of a five-year, $140 million deal with the franchise.
“Davante is my boy,” Crosby said. “I love Davante, and he’s going to do what he’s going to do. I’m praying for him, wish him the best … But we’re focused on the Raiders. We’re focused on who is here now, and we’re focused on winning. We need to find ways to do that.”
The Adams situation is the latest dramatic issue that Pierce and the Raiders have had this season. The coach called out his players for making “business decisions” after they were blown out by the Carolina Panthers, and he doubled down on them a day later while mostly refusing to take any accountability for his team’s struggles. He apologized eventually for those comments, saying he didn’t want to “be a distraction that way.”
The Raiders, however, fell apart Sunday. After Las Vegas went up 10-0, the Broncos rattled off 34 unanswered points en route to their 16-point win. The Raiders benched starting quarterback Gardner Minshew II in favor of Aidan O’Connell at one point, but Pierce declined to name a starter going forward. The loss snapped an eight-game win streak over the Broncos.
Crosby returned to the field Sunday after missing last week with a high ankle sprain, which was the first game he’s missed due to injury in his career. He had three total tackles and two sacks.
Pierce declined to get into the Adams situation much at all in the lead-up to Sunday’s game. But with how publicly things are playing out in Las Vegas, both with Adams’ trade request and otherwise, it’s hard to think it’s not having an impact.