Raiders' Adams on Minshew: 'One of the Most Mentally Tough People I've Been Around'

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams recently had high praise for his quarterback, Gardner Minshew II.

Sep 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew (15) throws a pass during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

It seemed the Las Vegas Raiders were in for a long day when quarterback Gardner Minshew II threw an interception down 6-3 with just over 5 minutes remaining in the first half of Las Vegas' Week 2 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens.

Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, being the leader he is, came to Minshew with words of encouragement when the veteran quarterback returned to the sideline. From then on, he was locked in and would ultimately lead his team to a 26-23 victory over the formidable Ravens.

Some leaders, like Crosby, are more vocal and know what to say to their teammates to get their spirits up. Others, like Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams, will sometimes take a more distant approach.

"I didn't say much to him in particular," Adams said during his appearance on "Up & Adams" on Tuesday. "I looked over to him after the pick, I let him kind of breathe and get his mind back right. The defense was out on the field, and I looked over to him, and I just called his name and looked at him and smiled at him and just shook my head, saying, basically, 'We gonna be alright. Don't worry about it.' And I mean, dude is one of the most mentally tough people I've been around, so I wasn't too much worried about him, but I mean, it is a tough position to be in and a tough position to play, quarterback. So, we try to be there for him and make sure he knows that we got his back, but most times, he's already got a good hold of everything, mentally, and we just got to be there to support him as much we can."

Many had doubted the Raiders' decision to go with Minshew as their starting quarterback going into the 2024 season. After his 276-yard, one-touchdown outing against Baltimore, it's safe to say he has what it takes.

"To have that type of trait [mental toughness] is something that's just, it's imperative when you play the QB position," Adams said. "Because one week, you're gonna have a great game, and then one week, you may not have a great game. Or maybe it's just the front half of the game where it doesn't start off how you want. So, just being around him so far, I can tell by the way he responds to the critics. Some of our local beat writers had some BS on a hot mic. They were talking about him, and for him to bounce back and go into a hostile environment like Baltimore, which obviously we know it's not just the environment, but the team itself is a force. So, to be able to snap out of, having not so great a Week 1, and then come in not-so-great first half and then to finish it against a team like that, I mean, without me even saying that, it proves that he has that type of mental toughness."

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