As Raiders training camp opens, Derek Carr says reuniting with Davante Adams perfect timing
When Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr trots on to the field late next week, it will mark the first NFL training camp in which he’ll be alongside best friend Davante Adams.
The Raiders acquired Adams from the Green Bay Packers in March, reuniting the former Fresno State stars.
Both put up blistering, record-setting numbers with the Bulldogs. When the trade finally happened, Carr was obviously ecstatic. It was “perfect timing for this to happen,” the quarterback said.
“That’s something that we always talked about,” Carr told The Bee recently. “We dreamed of that and then when it became closer to reality, I went all in and he did, too. It’s something that we both just know where we’re at in our careers.”
There is plenty of hope that Carr and Adams will recreate in the NFL the magic that they had at Fresno State, where they helped the Bulldogs to a Mountain West title.
The numbers Carr and Adams put up at Fresno State were a testament to their closeness and camaraderie. Those numbers included 233 receptions for 3,301 yards and 38 touchdowns for Adams in two seasons with the Bulldogs.
In the final season at Fresno State, the wideout had 1,719 yards and 24 touchdowns.
“It doesn’t promise that we can repeat what we’ve done,” Carr said. “It does give us an opportunity to play together again and it’s exciting. We’re both fired up about it. We’ve both been working really hard to make sure that we’re not just good again, we want to be as good as we can possibly be, but that takes a lot of work, and that takes a lot of routes that he has to run. A lot of balls that I got to throw and we’ll see where it takes us, but we’re excited to be on this journey together again.”
Adams is hoping another aerial fireworks show is coming, this time for the Raiders’ passing game, “but we are going to do whatever it takes to get some wins.”
“That’s what’s most important,” he said. “The numbers are going to come and the touchdowns and all that. I think we’ve established that we know what we’re doing apart from each other, let alone when we get together.”
Their interactions as teammates for the first time since 2013 continue to fuel optimism.
“I already know what makes him excited to play football,” Carr said. “I know what motivates him. I know when he messes up, how to approach him and some guys sometimes put you an arm around and be like, hey you’re OK, some guys like, hey let’s go and I know what it is with him.
“I know what he expects from himself and I’m going to hold him to that standard because that’s what a good friend would do. So vice versa, he does the game to me, honestly, everything has been so fun. Just playing football with him again, and hopefully we can turn it into something that people will be happy to watch again.”
When, where is the Raiders’ 2022 NFL training camp?
The Raiders open camp July 18, when rookies are due to report to the Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center in Henderson, Nevada.
Veterans are due July 20, ahead of the exhibition season opener Aug. 4 against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.
The preseason home opener is Aug. 14 versus the Minnesota Vikings at Allegiant Stadium. The regular-season schedule kicks off Sept. 11 on the road versus the Los Angeles Chargers.
This story was originally published July 14, 2022 at 12:29 PM.
