Minshew: Raiders ready to look past 'elephant in the room' Adams
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Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew says his team's focus is on the Denver Broncos on Sunday and not what's happening with Davante Adams.
According to multiple reports, the All-Pro wide receiver informed the team that he would prefer to be traded earlier this week.
"We've gotta focus on the task at hand here," Minshew said in a media availability. "Everybody understands Davante's situation. We all love Davante, but understand that he's gotta make the best decision for him and our team has to make the best decision for us. We gotta keep moving forward and we gotta win games...Those aren't decisions that I have anything to do with. I trust our guys to make the best decisions for the team and whoever we have here, we're going to give it everything we have and continue to try to win."
The 31-year-old Adams wasn't available in the team's 20-16 victory over the Cleveland Browns last Sunday with a hamstring injury that is expected to sideline him for the time being. With the No. 1 receiver out, Minshew had the opportunity to see what his offence could look like without him in it permanently.
"It's kinda 'next-man-up' mentality," Minshew, who threw for 130 yards on 14-for-24 passing, said. "I think everybody stepped up and played a role. [Jakobi Meyers] took on a bigger role and he's gonna be a guy that I have to do a better job of getting him the ball...we hit last week, so I think there's more there. [Tre Tucker, D.J. Turner], both making big plays. I think we've got guys that are primed for a role and excited to get the ball."
Asked what the message from head coach Antonio Pierce was about the Adams situation, Minshew says his team was told to focus on what they can control.
"Essentially, he just addressed the elephant in the room and what's going on and told us to just leave it there," Minshew said. "That's not for us to handle. Our job is to get out there and practice and prepare for this week. That's all we can do and trust that the guys upstairs are going to make the right decisions for our team."
The Raiders (2-2) sit in fourth in the AFC West, tied with the Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers, two games behind the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs (4-0).