Las Vegas Raiders WR Davante Adams will miss more days of training camp while waiting for the birth of his son. Adams has already missed two days of the NFL training camp after his return to Vegas to be with his expecting wife. On the whole, the message seems to be not to hold your breath for his return to the team anytime soon.

While head coach Antonio Pierce knows the Raiders are a stronger team with his star receiver on the field, he isn’t rushing things. He understands the gravity of the moment and knows Adams will be back on the practice field once the baby is born, via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.

“No baby,” Pierce said. “No baby yet. When the baby comes, I expect him to come back, so I’m not going to rush the baby. I’m not a doctor.”

Still, Adams’ absence should give the backup receivers on the roster additional opportunities to show they belong on the team. Thanks to this opportunity, backups Kristian Wilkerson and DJ Turner have stood out in the Raiders camp. Moreover, Jalen Guyton joined his first practice with the team on Monday after being activated from the PUP.

New start for the Raiders

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams (17) misses a pass in the end zone against the Denver Broncos during the fourth quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

The Raiders’ 8-9 record last season was an improvement over their 6-11 record the previous campaign. However, they’ve been eliminated from postseason contention for two straight years, which forced the team to retool and hire new personnel.

Las Vegas promoted former linebackers coach Antonio Pierce to head coach and released former quarterback Derek Carr. After a stint with the Los Angeles Chargers, Tom Telesco also became the new general manager for the Raiders. Filling the hole at quarterback are Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew, currently competing for the spot of QB1.

Still, the team continues to adjust to the changes. Davante Adams himself looks to build chemistry with his quarterbacks, who’ve thrown him a number of “hospital balls” in the first weeks of training camp. Likewise, the star receiver has dealt with endless trade rumors with Aaron Rodgers, his old quarterback, and his new team, the New York Jets. Both men had played together with the Green Bay Packers before the team traded Adams to the Raiders in 2022. A year later, they traded Rodgers to the Jets.

Adams is also coming off his least efficient season in his entire NFL career. The six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All Pro first-team member averaged 11.1 yards per catch, the lowest of his career while playing 13 games. He also scored eight touchdowns, the second-lowest of his career since 2015.