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Paul Gutierrez, ESPN Staff WriterSep 4, 2024, 07:37 PM ET
- Paul Gutierrez joined NFL Nation in 2013 and serves as its Las Vegas Raiders reporter. He has a multi-platform role – writing on ESPN.com, television appearances on NFL Live and SportsCenter, and podcast and radio appearances. Before coming to ESPN, Gutierrez spent three years at CSN Bay Area as a multi-platform reporter, covering the Raiders and Oakland Athletics as well as anchoring the SportsNet Central cable news show. Gutierrez votes for the Baseball Hall of Fame and is also a member of the Professional Football Writers of America and currently serves as the PFWA’s Las Vegas chapter president. He is also a member of the California Chicano News Media Association and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Gutierrez has authored three books: Tommy Davis’ Tales from the Dodgers Dugout, 100 Things Raiders Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die and If These Walls Could Talk: Stories from the Raiders Sideline, Locker Room and Press Box with Lincoln Kennedy. You can follow Paul on Twitter @PGutierrezESPN
HENDERSON, Nev. — Las Vegas Raiders receiver Davante Adams took exception to former NFL wideout DeSean Jackson’s recent claims that Adams was not “happy” in Las Vegas.
“At the end of the day, the facts are the facts and that is not a fact,” Adams said Wednesday as the Raiders prepared for their season opener at the Los Angeles Chargers.
“I’ve probably spoken to DeSean Jackson maybe three or four times in my life, and I never had a conversation with him [about this], ever. And I put that on my kids. I’ve never spoken to him about anything.”
Adams said the only person with whom he shares feelings is his wife.
“And she ain’t out there leaking anything, and dropping stuff like that in the media,” he said.
“If it ain’t from the horse’s mouth, it’s probably bulls—.”
Davante Adams is entering his third season with the Raiders. He has caught 22 touchdowns and accumulated 2,660 yards in two seasons with Las Vegas. Chris Unger/Getty Images
Jackson, who played for the Raiders briefly in 2021, appeared on the “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” on Aug. 27 and was asked about Adams, whose appearance on the Netflix series “Receiver” often showed a frustrated player.
Combine that with Adams missing time in OTAs and training camp, and not playing in the exhibition season — he returned home to be with his wife for the birth of their son — and Jackson offered his opinion.
“I mean, you’ve got Gardner Minshew, that’s actually been named the starting quarterback this year,” Jackson said. “This year is going to be tough. They don’t have the quarterback that they want. I know they wanted to get a quarterback in that draft, and they couldn’t get their guy. So, obviously, they kind of defaulted to who they have.
“This one’s tough because me and Davante, we’ve talked and man, I hate to do it, I don’t want to be the guy that’s like, ‘Oh, DJax said this and said that.’ But at the end of the day, he is unhappy. I mean, you go from Aaron Rodgers, then you come to the Las Vegas Raiders and now not only Jimmy G [Garoppolo], you had your boy [Derek] Carr. It didn’t really work out … from the Fresno State days, right? You think they would come back and work everything out and it just quite didn’t work out. So now, I just don’t think he’s really that happy there.”
Adams said he nearly put out a video of himself denying Jackson’s claims but did not want to give the situation any “attention” before being asked about it Wednesday.
“But in terms of me being upset or not being happy in this organization, it’s just a bunch of BS that’s just meant to throw everybody off and get clickbait,” Adams said. “Everybody wants to see what Davante Adams got to say, and, you know, he’s pissed off in Vegas. If I was pissed off, I mean, I wouldn’t be here right now.
“I don’t think that y’all standing in front of me [are] getting the vibe that I want to leave this place. And if you do, then you’re just feeding into the bulls— that they’re feeding you all out there. And that’s not reality.”
