When Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams shoved an unsuspecting photographer, it began a chain of events that forces Adams to face repercussions.
In the heat of a demoralizing loss, Davante Adams was visibly frustrated and expressed it in one of the most regrettable ways — by shoving someone while exiting the field.
Rather than a fellow NFL player, the person Adams shoved was a photographer who, according to Adams, ran in front of him. And because he did, Adams shoved him to the side as he entered the tunnel to the locker room.
Adams issued an apology through his postgame press conference, explaining his thought process while condemning his regrettable actions.
"“Before I say anything, I want to apologize to the guy (camera person) running off the field and he ran and jumped in front of me,” Adams said. “I’m coming off the field and I bumped into him and pushed him. I think he ended up on the ground, so I want to say sorry to him because that was just frustration mixed with him running in front of me and I shouldn’t have responded that way and that’s how I initially responded. I want to apologize to him for that.”"
Adams reiterated these sentiments over Twitter, emphasizing his apologetic feelings in light of his actions.
Now, it seems that Adams will face NFL discipline and possibly a suspension for shoving the photographer, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
NFL.com confirmed that the credentialed worker filed a police report with the Kansas City Police Department following the game.
According to the incident report, “[the victim] made arrangements for private transport to the hospital for treatment at which time he called police. The injuries are preliminarily thought to be non-life threatening.” The Kansas City police also said the incident will be “investigated by its assault unit detectives and the investigation is not expected to last more than 1-2 days.”
NFL expected to punish Davante Adams for shoving photographer following bitter loss
Adams, who has been candid about his frustrations in Las Vegas so far this season, was seen slamming his helmet following the loss. Adams had a pivotal catch that was ruled incomplete, then collided with fellow wideout Hunter Renfrow for the last play of the game. Had the Raiders kicked an extra point, the Raiders would have gone into overtime and could have possibly won the game. All of this cultivated in an incredibly frustrated moment that prompted Adams to slam his helmet into the ground before shoving the photographer.
On Tuesday, Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels vouched for Adams, saying that he is “a great guy” and that he didn’t believe “there was any intent behind it.”
“I support Davante wholeheartedly as a human being,” McDaniels said, per ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez. “As a person, he’s a great guy. I know that was an unfortunate situation. We obviously don’t want any of our guys to be doing anything like that. He knows that. He’s very well aware of that. But I know the person; I don’t think there was any intent behind it, on his part. But whatever [the NFL] asks of us, whatever they need from us, obviously we’ll comply.”
Adams has apologized extensively and explained his mindset, yet there is still widespread criticism of how he dealt with his frustration, the potential harm he could have caused someone by shoving them, and the ways in which Adams sought to make it right thus far.
However, there is one person who explained the context of NFL sideline coverage from a photographer’s perspective. Robert Carr, an NFL sideline photographer who has been covering the Raiders since 2002, shared his thoughts about the matter on Twitter.
“Not once have I ever felt inclined to file a police report and potentially press charges on anyone,” Carr wrote. Carr noted that during 20 seasons in the league, he has been “hit by players, hit by errant passes, had lenses and equipment break.”
“It’s a privilege to be on those sidelines and we all understand the risks that can be associated with covering this sport,” Carr continued.
It’s an uncharacteristic moment for the wide receiver, who was seen right before the Monday Night Game connecting with a longtime fan from Green Bay.
https://twitter.com/JamesPalmerTV/status/1579602020558077954?s=20&t=XLSyUFyealdHllOhpvqyqg
For now, Adams and the Raiders wait on word to see how the NFL will dole out discipline in response, with the expectation that it will deter future players from ever taking out frustrations on bystanders.