Can Gardner Minshew keep star WR Davante Adams happy with the Raiders?

Gardner Minshew emerged from a quarterback battle with Aidan O'Connell during Las Vegas Raiders training camp as a starter on a short leash.

And in two games, Minshew has shown flashes of a quarterback who can extend plays with his feet. In Week 2, he helped lead the Raiders to a surprising comeback win over the visiting Baltimore Ravens to even their record at 1-1.

Minshew is tied for second in the NFL with 533 passing yards and leads the league in completion percentage (77.5%). He has tried to keep things simple, finding talented receivers Davante Adams and rookie tight end Brock Bowers as often as possible and getting the ball to them.

Adams totaled nine receptions for 110 yards on 10 passes last week against the Ravens, with the bulk of his production coming in the fourth quarter as the Raiders rallied from a 10-point deficit. Adams had four catches for 86 yards in the fourth quarter and also drew a crucial pass interference penalty in the end zone that led to the tying score. The Raiders’ 26-23 win snapped a 49-game losing streak when trailing by more than 10 points in the fourth quarter.

After Adams' big game, Minshew and the Raiders must figure out how to keep the veteran receiver happy. After pairing with Aaron Rodgers for eight years in Green Bay, Adams has caught passes from five different quarterbacks since joining the Raiders via trade in 2022: Derek Carr, Jarrett Stidham, Jimmy Garoppolo, O'Connell and now Minshew.

During the offseason, speculation about a trade involving Adams spread throughout the league due to the team's struggles and instability at the quarterback position. In July, Adams' representatives attempted to quell rumors that the six-time Pro Bowler was unhappy with the Raiders, saying that it was unfounded speculation and that he hoped to remain with the team in 2024.

Adams confirmed that report just before the regular season.

“As far as me being upset or not happy with this organization, it's just a bunch of nonsense meant to confuse everybody and get clickbait,” Adams told reporters. “Everybody wants to see what Davante Adams has to say, that he's upset in Las Vegas.

“If I was angry I wouldn't be here right now.”

Adams, 31, has two years remaining on his contract after this season at more than $35 million annually, none of which is guaranteed.

With the Raiders going through a rebuilding process, could head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco look to trade Adams before the Nov. 5 deadline? He could be a great asset to a contending team, like his former teammate Rodgers and the New York Jets.

Or Mike Tomlin and the surprising Pittsburgh Steelers.

Or Matt LaFleur and the Green Bay Packers.

Or Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.

The Raiders are paying Adams, one of the league's best receivers, so they might as well use him as much as possible, or find another team that will take advantage of his unique skill set.

Since arriving in Las Vegas in 2022, Adams has 11 games with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown, second in the league. And his 23 receiving touchdowns since joining the Raiders lead the league.

For now, Minshew has to keep Adams happy. The veteran quarterback hasn't been perfect. He's already been sacked nine times. Against Baltimore, he made a baffling interception late in the first half that led to an interesting conversation with team leader Maxx Crosby on the sideline.

“It was awesome,” Minshew told reporters this week. “He grabbed me and said, 'Hey, we've got your back, man. We need that Washington State Gardner. We need that.' And I said, 'You're right, man. Let me see if I can go get him ready real quick.'”

Crosby's words of encouragement must have helped. In the second half, Minshew completed 16 of 22 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions, with a passer rating of 118. The Raiders scored 20 points in the first half, including 13 in the fourth quarter.

Entering the season, Pierce had planned to lean on a strong defense and a run-attack approach. So far, the defense has held up, allowing just 17.2 points per game since Pierce took over as head coach in Week 9 of last season, second in the NFL. The defense has been even better at home, allowing a league-low 14.4 points per game.

The running game, however, has been awful, with Las Vegas averaging a league-low 49 yards per game this season. Against Baltimore, the Raiders abandoned an ineffective running game in favor of a quick passing game, which proved effective against a Baltimore defense that finished with five sacks on the day.

Getting the ball out quickly is critical for Minshew. According to Next Gen Stats, he has completed 28 of 30 passes for 164 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions when he throws the ball in 2.5 seconds or less.

That means Gardner has to trust what he sees. And if Adams is in man coverage, the quarterback has to get him the ball early so one of the game's best receivers can make a big play.

“Just throw him the ball when he's one-on-one,” Minshew said. “That guy keeps you on track. And even a couple of times he's been called for pass interference, those are big plays for our offense. So being able to give him opportunities to get the ball in his hands is going to be huge for us.”

The Raiders have also found a capable wing in Adams, whose 15 receptions for 156 yards are the most by a rookie tight end in his first two career games in the common draft era. Adams and Bowers give the Raiders a dynamic pass-catching duo around which to build an offense.

It's up to Minshew to make that work while Adams remains on the roster.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams For Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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