Raiders receiver Davante Adams has indeed been charged with a crime, but it’s a lesser crime than previously reported.
The Associated Press said it’s misdemeanor assault. Via Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Adams has been charged with the violation of a city ordinance. Instead of facing up to a year in prison, the maximum sentence is 180 days. Adams also can be fined at least $250 or as much as $1,000.
Here’s the reality. Adams won’t spend a day in jail. Even if he takes the case all the way to trial and loses, he’ll get probation or a suspended sentence or something other than being required to spend a minute behind bars. The charges were filed because the victim initiated the process. If/when (when) Adams and the victim reach a settlement as to the civil claims, the criminal case likely will be resolved with a minimal punishment, if any.
The bigger issue is what the NFL will do. The league has not responded to the question of whether the situation will be handled under the standard game-day punishment system or the Personal Conduct Policy. Either way, Adams is facing a suspension. Under his 2022 salary of $3.5 million, that would cost him $194,444 per game. Based on his 2023 salary of $6.03 million, it would cost him $335,000 per game. Obviously, a contract restructuring that lowers his base salary would reduce the weekly game checks, too.
A suspension also would potentially allow the Raiders to void Adams’s guarantees, if they choose. Unless they’d want to cut him at some point (and there’s no reason to think they would), voiding guarantees doesn’t really matter.
Since the Raiders don’t play this weekend, the league has extra time to decide whether to suspend him now under the game-day protocol or later under the Personal Conduct Policy. Ultimately, however, there can be only one punishment. The league will have to pick one or the other.