Rob Gronkowski suggests Davante Adams influenced Raiders' decision to bench Jimmy Garoppolo
Having one catch for 11 yards is uncharacteristic for an All-Pro wide receiver like Davante Adams. But that happened in the Las Vegas Raiders' Week 8 loss to the Detroit Lions. He was lost for words after that defeat, their fifth in eight games.
After that setback, the Raiders triggered significant changes by firing Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler. They also named Antonio Pierce interim head coach. But the transition isn’t over, as the team announced Aidan O’Connell as starting quarterback over Jimmy Garoppolo.
Rob Gronkowski believes Davante Adams’ influence relegated Jimmy Garoppolo to a non-starter
Kay Adams and Rob Gronkowski discussed the latest updates about the Raiders on the FanDuel TV program Up and Adams. When she asked if Davante Adams affected the quarterback change, Gronkowski responded:
“I would say he definitely has some serious pull. There's no doubt about it because you wanna keep him happy. He's putting people in the stands because who doesn't want to see him play? He's a once-in-a-generation talent. So, you gotta keep him happy and overall, Davante Adams, if he's saying something, you gotta listen."
After trading for him last season, the Raiders signed the former Fresno State standout to a five-year, $141.25 million contract extension. That deal made him the highest-paid wide receiver at that point. Adams finished the 2022 season with 100 catches for 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns while playing with Derek Carr.
However, those numbers didn’t translate to team success, as the Las Vegas Raiders finished the season at 6-11. This year, they are at 3-5 leading into their Week 9 contest against the New York Giants. Adams has 47 catches for 539 yards and three touchdowns in eight games this season.
New starting quarterback for Davante Adams and the Raiders offense
But taking the lead on offense is O’Connell, the play-caller they selected in the fourth round of the 2023 draft. He had his first NFL start in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers while Garoppolo was on concussion protocol. O’Connell had 24 completions for 238 yards and an interception.
The former Purdue standout filled in for Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer in Week 7 against the Chicago Bears. He threw his first NFL touchdown pass from 10 completions for 75 yards.
However, benching Garoppolo isn’t a wise decision financially because the Raiders signed him to a three-year, $72.75 million contract. That’s a massive payday for someone who won’t play much moving forward.