Las Vegas Raiders

Green Bay Packers star Davante Adams admitted it would be a "dream" to reunite with former Fresno State teammate Derek Carr in the NFL.

Adams, who's under contract with the Packers for one more season, was careful not to risk alienating his current teammates too much, though, in an interview with Bri Mellon for ABC30 Fresno:

Carr previously told Mellon he planned to recruit Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders "when that time comes."

Adams and Carr spent three years together at Fresno State. 

Although Adams redshirted in 2011, he told Mellon how he and Carr built a strong rapport on the practice field. He proceeded to be the Bulldogs' leading receiver over the next two seasons, finishing his college career with 223 receptions for 3,031 yards and 38 touchdowns.

Along with his contract situation, the ongoing drama between Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers has thrown Adams' future with the organization into some doubt.

Speaking with Bleacher Report's Graham Matthews last week, the four-time Pro Bowler reaffirmed his commitment to the Packers now but remained a little vague about the long term:

That's the plan, man. I'm not planning on going anywhere. That's only one piece of it, though. Obviously the quarterback situation helps it, but the stars got to align across the board as far as contractually. We'll figure all that stuff out and let it happen. I'll be at training camp like I said regardless, we're going to play the season, and we'll see how all of that pans out.

The same basic logic about the stars aligning just right could also apply to Carr's "full-court press" on Adams.

Signing Adams would make a ton of sense for the Raiders. 

Henry Ruggs III didn't go above and beyond as a rookie first-rounder (26 catches, 452 yards, two TDs) and Hunter Renfrow (56 catches, 656 yards, two TDs) is more of a possession receiver, so it's not immediately clear whether Las Vegas has a true No. 1 wideout. The team wouldn't have to worry about Adams' fit in the offense too much, either, given his previous experience with Carr.

But there are multiple steps required to make that partnership a reality.

Especially if they have to make the switch from Rodgers to Jordan Love within the next year or two, the Packers probably won't want to lose their best pass-catcher. Then there's the fact the four-time Pro Bowler will assuredly have plenty of interested suitors if he hits the open market.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr and Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams were teammates in college at Fresno State. 

So it doesn't come as much of a surprise that Carr told Bri Mellon of ABC 30 Fresno that he would love a reunion with his former teammate when asked about Adams' potential unrestricted free agency after the 2021 season:

“I’ve learned in this business you never shut a door on anything. I know that he’s obviously the best receiver—everyone says one of the best—he’s the best receiver in the NFL. The guy is unbelievable. He’s been one of my best friends since we were in college together. I love the guy. ...

“I would always welcome [playing] with him again. I think it would unlock some things in both of us that people haven’t seen yet. And I’m always open to that and I will be recruiting very hard. So when that time comes, it will be a full-court press.”

The pair spent two seasons together for the Bulldogs (2012-13), and it was a fruitful partnership. Under Carr, Adams caught 233 passes for 3,031 yards and a whopping 38 touchdowns. 

Carr was just as good, throwing for 9,187 yards, 87 touchdowns and 15 picks in those two years. And Fresno State went 20-6 during that time. 

There is enough uncertainty in Green Bay at the moment that it wouldn't be shocking if Adams chose to go with a different team after this season, as Aaron Rodgers continues to remain away from the team. 

If Rodgers ultimately ends his stand-off with the Packers and a truce is reached, it would be hard to imagine Adams going elsewhere, barring the Packers dramatically undervaluing him in contract negotiations and choosing not to use the franchise tag. 

After all, his partnership with Rodgers has led to a career that includes four Pro Bowls and a 2020 first-team All-Pro selection. The 28-year-old just set career highs in receptions (115) and touchdowns (18), adding 1,374 receiving yards. 

The football in Green Bay with Rodgers under center has been good for Adams. And the wideout told Fox News' Paulina Dedaj last week that he and the team have had very preliminary contract extension discussions. 

"There's been talks, just really just talks, but we haven't really done anything or talked about anything that's worth mentioning," he said. "It's kind of just been the beginning stage of talking, and we'll figure out what happens. Hopefully, something gets figured out, but I'm just there to play ball either way. That stuff will take care of itself eventually."

Some NFL sleuths think Tom Brady was referring to the Las Vegas Raiders and Derek Carr when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB criticized an unnamed team for not offering him a contract in free agency last offseason.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, "multiple people with deep connections" across the league have said the Raiders are the team Brady referenced.

"One of the teams, they weren't interested at the very end," Brady said on HBO's The Shop: Uninterrupted. "I was thinking, 'You're sticking with that motherf--ker?'"

Brady would go on to win his seventh Super Bowl with the Bucs after signing a two-year, $50 million deal in March 2020.

Florio noted the Raiders removed themselves from the Brady free-agent sweepstakes late in the process, with one source telling him the team thought Brady's requests were "over the top."

Just days after Brady signed with Tampa Bay, the Raiders agreed to terms on a two-year, $17.6 million contract with Marcus Mariota, making him the highest-paid backup QB in the league.

If Brady was talking about Vegas, not only did the franchise decide to stick with "that motherf--ker," it brought in insurance for him.

Brady also said there's no chance he would've signed with the mystery team that spurned him.

"When I look back I'm like, there's no f--king way I would've went to that team," Brady said. "But they said they didn't want me. I know what that means. I know what that feels like. And I'm gonna go f--k you up because of that."

That comment isn't the biggest breadcrumb to follow—given how Brady has beaten up on the vast majority of NFL teams multiple times—but he did throw for 369 yards and four touchdowns against the Raiders in a 45-20 Week 7 victory last year.

It turns out that may have been a revenge game and only Brady knew it. 

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said he has reached out to support teammate and defensive end Carl Nassib, who announced in an Instagram video Monday that he is gay.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network relayed Carr's comments:

Nassib, who is the first active NFL player to publicly come out as gay, has received support from many people and organizations since his statement.

He also received support from Michael Sam, who was the first out gay player to get drafted into the NFL.

Nassib also said he will be donating $100,000 to The Trevor Project, a "leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25." The NFL announced Tuesday it would match Nassib's donation to the organization.

The 28-year-old, who is entering his sixth NFL season, has played with the Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Raiders. The Silver and Black signed the ex-Penn State star to a three-year, $25 million contract in March 2020. 

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib has the support of Raiders royalty.

"Proud of Carl Nassib on coming out yesterday," Bo Jackson tweeted. "The #RaiderNation, the whole country, and I stand with you."

Nassib announced in an Instagram video Monday that he is gay. Nassib also announced he is donating $100,000 to The Trevor Project.

"The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25," according to the organization's website.

ESPN's Adam Schefter noted Nassib was the "first active NFL player to announce he is gay."

Jackson was far from the only one to offer support for Nassib:

Jackson played for the Raiders from 1987 through 1990 when the franchise was located in Los Angeles. He also played in Major League Baseball for the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox and California Angels from 1986 through 1994.

The NFL announced Tuesday that it was matching the $100,000 donation Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib made to The Trevor Project on Monday:

Nassib publicly came out as gay on Monday: 

"I just want to take a quick moment to say that I'm gay," Nassib said. "I've been meaning to do this for a while now. But I finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest. I really have the best life. I got the best family, friends and job a guy could ask for. I'm a pretty private person, so I hope you guys know that I'm really not doing this for attention. I just think that representation and visibility are so important. I actually hope that one day videos like this and the whole coming-out process are just not necessary. But until then, I'mma do my best and do my part to cultivate a culture that's accepting, that's compassionate, and I'm gonna start by donating $100,000 to The Trevor Project."

The NFL community came out in support of Nassib after his announcement:

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the Raiders organization also released statements:

That support has expanded beyond the NFL world, with ESPN's Adam Schefter reporting that Nassib's jersey was the top-selling uniform in the Fantastics network the past two days.

The Trevor Project's mission is to provide "crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25."

The 28-year-old Nassib appeared in 14 games for the Raiders last season (five starts), posting 28 tackles, 2.5 sacks and an interception. 

Michael Sam, who became the first person to come out publicly and get drafted by an NFL team, praised Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib for coming out Monday. 

After Nassib announced on Instagram that he is gay, Sam congratulated him for "owning your truth" in a post on Twitter:

Nassib's announcement made him the first active NFL player to publicly come out as gay. 

"I just want to take a quick moment to say that I'm gay," he said in the video. "I've been meaning to do this for a while now, but I finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest. I really have the best life, I've got the best family, friends and job a guy could ask for."

Nassib also pledged to donate $100,000 to the Trevor Project as part of his stated desire to "cultivate a culture that's accepting, that's compassionate."

The Trevor Project is a nonprofit organization established in 1998 with a mission to provide crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ people under the age of 25. 

Sam publicly announced in February 2014 that he is gay. The former Missouri star was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year for the 2013 season and was selected in the seventh round by the Los Angeles Rams during the 2014 NFL draft. 

After spending time with the Rams, Dallas Cowboys and Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League, Sam retired from professional football in August 2015. 

Nassib was a third-round draft pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2016. The 28-year-old spent two seasons in Cleveland and two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before signing a three-year contract with the Raiders in March 2020. 

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib announced in an Instagram video Monday that he is gay.

I just want to take a quick moment to say that I'm gay. I've been meaning to do this for a while now. But I finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest. I really have the best life. I got the best family, friends and job a guy could ask for. I'm a pretty private person, so I hope you guys know that I'm really not doing this for attention. I just think that representation and visibility are so important. I actually hope that one day videos like this and the whole coming-out process are just not necessary. But until then, I'mma do my best and do my part to cultivate a culture that's accepting, that's compassionate, and I'm gonna start by donating $100,000 to The Trevor Project.

He is the first active NFL player to come out as gay, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The Trevor Project provides "crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25," per the organization's website.

Nassib received an outpouring of support after his announcement:

Michael Sam came out publicly in 2014 after his college football career and before he was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round, making him the first out player to be drafted by an NFL team. While he played for the Rams that preseason and later had a stint on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad, he never played a regular-season game before retiring in 2015.

He also played for the Montreal Alouettes in 2015 and became the first out player in the Canadian Football League and the first out player to appear in a CFL regular-season contest.

Nassib, 28, has played for the Cleveland Browns (2016-17), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2018-19) and Raiders (2020) in his five-year career, posting 20.5 sacks. He was a third-round pick of the Browns in the 2016 draft.