With a short-term solution in place with Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers can address the contract status of another All-Pro.
Wide receiver Davante Adams enters the final year of his contract facing the prospect of hitting free agency after the season, when Rodgers can work his way out of Green Bay.
Adams recently broke off talks with the Packers on a long-term deal. According to reports, Green Bay is balking at a deal that would make Adams the top-paid wide receiver in the NFL, ahead of the Arizona Cardinals’ DeAndre Hopkins.
With next year up in the air for both players, Adams and Rodgers could be entering their final season together. Each player posted a picture of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen on his Instagram story page, a reference to the “Last Dance” documentary on the end of the Chicago Bulls’ championship dynasty.
Would Adams take less money to stay in Green Bay with Rodgers beyond 2021?
“That’s not going to happen,” Adams, 28, said. “I don’t want to — it’s not about being a baby. What other profession do you take less than what you’ve earned? That’s not how it goes. The fans might see it different in certain ways. I’m sure there are fans that see it the same way myself, my family, my agent and most of the league sees it.
“I’m not a baby. So I’m not going to not show up and I’m not complaining about it. At the end of the day, I’m not poor right now. I’ll be OK to get through and go try to win a Super Bowl again. That’s my main focus right now.”
Adams said he would “lock in” but believes he earned the right “to be paid the highest in the league.”
To be the highest-paid receiver in the NFL, Adams would need to receive $27.25 million per season, which would equal Hopkins’ annual average value with the Cardinals. Hopkins received a two-year deal worth $54.5 million following a trade last offseason from the Texans.
“I don’t want to make this (season) about me,” Adams said.
The trouble for the front office involves the salary cap and Rodgers’ status. If Rodgers would opt to retire or the Packers honor his potential wish for a trade, Green Bay would face the subsequent cap hit, leaving the franchise little or no room to retain Adams, even on the franchise tag.
Five wide receivers make more than $20 million per year, but none are within $5 million of Hopkins’ average salary. Julio Jones of the Tennessee Titans is closest at $22 million per season.
Between the lines, as the Packers take the field for practices this week, Adams said he’s “ecstatic” to learn Randall Cobb is returning to the Packers via trade.
“I’m just waiting on Jordy now,” he said with a smile, referring to the retired Jordy Nelson.
Adams is entering his eighth season in Green Bay. He is coming off a stellar 2020 season, in which he caught 115 passes for 1,374 yards with 18 touchdowns in 14 games.
