Pittsburgh Pirates head coach Mike Tomlin is keeping an eye on wide receiver Davante Adams, who last week requested a trade from the Las Vegas Raiders and sparked a flurry of rumors about his NFL future. Many franchises are competing for the player.
The Steelers are off to a 3-1 start to the season and are one of the strongest teams this season, with Justin Fields at quarterback taking over for the injured Russell Wilson. However, Tomlin is looking to add experience at receiver to help his team aim high this season.
NFL insider Diana Russini of The Athletic said the Steelers contacted Raiders front office and made an aggressive offer to sign Davante Adams. For that reason, Tomlin is preparing to manage the 31-year-old wide receiver.
The Steelers had already made offers to add a top receiver when they tried to sign Brandon Aiyuk from the San Francisco 49ers. However, a contract extension put the deal on hold. In this case, Adams is waiting for a convincing offer to leave the Raiders, and while he has hinted that he would like to play for the New York Jets with former teammate Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers are now seriously pursuing his services.
The potential addition of Adams could lead to a similar situation to that of Fields and Wilson, two key figures battling for the starting quarterback role. Tomlin would be challenged to make room for the Raiders’ wide receiver as a starter alongside George Pickens, battling for a spot with Calvin Austin and Van Jefferson in the same backfield.
Pittsburgh Steelers’ offer for Davante Adams
The exact details of the aggressive bid have not yet been disclosed. The Raiders want a second-round pick and a big name in exchange for Adams, so the Steelers would be willing to part with a top player. On the other hand, Pittsburgh are considering a strategy to deal with Adams’ salary in order to reduce the impact on the salary cap and agree a deal with the wide receiver for at least two years.