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Davante Adams remains a member of the Las Vegas Raiders, though that could change sooner than later with multiple teams interested in trading for the star wide receiver.
Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Pittsburgh Steelers are a team that has “strong interest” in Adams with the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets having already had discussions with the Raiders.
Fowler noted Adams likely won’t be traded until next week at the earliest. The six-time Pro Bowler is going to miss his third straight game due to a hamstring injury. The Raiders and Steelers will play each other on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.
The Jets and Saints have been the primary focus of trade rumors involving Adams because his preference is to play for either of those teams due to his preexisting relationships with Derek Carr and Aaron Rodgers.
Fowler previously reported on Wednesday that the Saints are ahead of the Jets in the race to trade for Adams because they are “willing to be aggressive.”
It’s unclear how aggressive the Steelers will be in their pursuit of Adams, especially if it turns into a bidding war with multiple teams.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Raiders have told interested teams they won’t accept anything less than a second-round draft pick plus additional compensation in the form of either extra picks or a player for Adams.
Pittsburgh has not historically been aggressive with its in-season moves, but the team did hit a home run in September 2019 by trading for Minkah Fitzpatrick in a deal with the Miami Dolphins.
The Steelers are in desperate need of a spark on offense. They have scored more than 20 points once in their first five games and rank 26th in points per game.
Justin Fields is tied for the NFL lead with five fumbles, but only one has been recovered by the opposing defense. Russell Wilson is expected to be active for the first time this season Sunday, but head coach Mike Tomlin said on Friday he will “probably” be the backup to Fields.
Regardless of who is playing quarterback in Pittsburgh, the team needs another playmaker on the outside with George Pickens. He is the only receiver on the roster with more than 140 yards this season (310). Tight end Pat Freiermuth ranks second on the Steelers with 178 receiving yards.
Adams has 18 receptions for 209 yards and one touchdown in three games this season.
