It’s been a couple years since Davante Adams played for the Green Bay Packers. However, there’s still some frustration from the superstar wide receiver about how things ended with his old team.
Adams made an appearance recently on All Facts No Brakes with Keyshawn Johnson. During the interview, Johnson asked Adams about who things ended between him and the Packers. He mentioned the uncertainty around Aaron Rodgers’ future, but also took some shots at the team’s front office.
According to Adams, he had spoken with the Packers before the 2021 season to try and get a contract extension finalized. He mentioned that his No. 1 priority was financial security in case something happened.
“Look, I said pay me right now, and then we won’t even need to worry about, I’m not going to consider even that Aaron [Rodgers] might even be out of here,” Adams said.
The Packers’ Low-Ball Offer for Adams
With Rodgers on the way out a year later, the Packers opted to eventually trade Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders. But that wasn’t before the team made a low-ball offer to the star wideout.
According to Adams, the Packers offered a deal for $17 million a year. In today’s current wide receiver market, that would make him the 26th highest-paid receiver in the league.
“I said click, nothing to talk about,” Adams said, implying that he hung up the phone. “I don’t know if you know what the market looks like, or you’ve been sleeping for the last five years, [but] there’s nothing to talk about.”
Following that season, the Packers traded Adams to the Raiders for a pair of top draft picks. He went on to sign a five-year, $140 million extension with the Raiders shortly after.
Adams turned into a superstar for the Packers. In eight seasons with the team, he was a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro. He also led the NFL with 18 receiving touchdowns in 2020.
Although his production took a step backwards in 2023, Adams could have a bounce-back year with some stability in the Raiders locker room.
Wide Receivers Continue to Get Paid
Adams was eventually able to sign a massive extension. Now, just a couple of years later, that deal isn’t even in the top five of wide receiver deals.
Based on average annual value, Adams’ deal would rank sixth among wide receivers in the league right now. The top spot is currently held by Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson, who is averaging $35 million annually.
A handful of other wide receivers received massive contract extensions this offseason. Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown signed a deal worth more than $30 million annually to stay with the team that drafted him. Other wideouts now making more than Adams include A.J. Brown, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle.
With NFL offenses becoming more and more pass heavy, having an established star at the wide receiver position is becoming vital to offensive success. Teams are starting to play wideouts more than almost any position in the league other than quarterback, so it’s easy to see why Adams was hoping to get paid appropriately in Green Bay before being traded.
