The NFL is weighing possible discipline against Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams for shoving a credentialed photographer on the way to the visitors tunnel after Las Vegas' loss to the Chiefs last Monday, with the photographer falling on the ground afterwards. Adams could be fined, suspended or both.
Adams' status won’t be resolved in the near future, sources informed of the situation say, which indicates Adams will stay on the field moving forward for Las Vegas this season, at least until his legal situation has reached its conclusion.
The league generally acts quickly for on-field infractions to make clear a player’s status for the next game, ruling on suspensions by Wednesday morning of a game week. Las Vegas is on a bye this week.
Adams' situation, however, won’t play out immediately, in part to a legal developmental that came on Wednesday when he was charged with a city ordinance violation of assault, according to a Kansas City (Missouri) Municipal Court public information officer.
Because Adams was criminally charged, his case is now considered a potential personal-conduct policy violation, which warrants a league investigation. However, if the case is resolved in any way -- legal charges are dropped, Adams pleads guilty, or any other outcome that concludes this situation -- a resolution would come quicker, sources informed of the situation say.
The citation states that Adams "did, by an intentional, overt act, inflict bodily injury or cause an unlawful offensive contact" on the worker, causing whiplash and a headache along with a possible concussion.
A court date was set for Thursday, Nov. 10 at 1:30 p.m. CT.
Adams apologized while speaking to reporters after the game and again on Twitter.
“Before I say anything,” Adams told reporters after the game, “I want to apologize to the guy running off the field and he ran and jumped in front of me. 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.”
Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels has stood behind Adams, saying last Tuesday, “I support Davante wholeheartedly as a human being.”
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