Getty Davante Adams #17 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates defeating the Los Angeles Rams 32-18 in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Lambeau Field on January 16, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
With or without Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers want star wide receiver Davante Adams included in their long-term future plans.
According to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Packers are treating Adams as a “priority” heading into the final year of his current contract in 2021 and are expecting to “try to come to an agreement on a massive contract extension” before he becomes one of the top unrestricted free agents on the market next March.
The Packers, however, remain stuck with the “albatross” that is Rodgers’ expensive current contract with the NFL’s reigning MVP scheduled to carry a salary-cap hit of $37.202 million in 2021 and $39.852 million in 2022.
Here’s what Fowler said Thursday on SportsCenter:
Davante Adams and the Packers are expected to try to come to an agreement on a massive contract extension. He will likely be the highest-paid receiver in the league at some point. Most evaluators I talk to believe he is the very best at that position right now. So, he’s a priority for the Packers, whether Aaron Rodgers is the quarterback or Jordan Love. The problem is Rodgers’ contract has been an albatross for that team, it’s hindered them from doing some other contracts and things they want to do with the team-building standpoint. So, they’ve got to shake that out first.
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Rodgers’ Deal Must Be the First Domino
Fowler is right about how Rodgers’ contract is restricting the Packers. His cap number in the upcoming season is nearly $16 million more than it was in 2020, and while that might seem worth the cost of a three-time MVP quarterback, the matter becomes more complicated when said quarterback is refusing to show up for mandated workouts in the offseason and his swollen number is just sitting on the books.
If the Packers still envision a long-term future with Rodgers, it would be logical for them to attempt to sign him to a contract extension as soon as possible. Yes, he is under contract for another three seasons, but the Packers could add two or three more years onto his deal to help spread out the cap cost and use the financial flexibility that comes with it to be more aggressive in free agency — even if only to re-sign current stars, such as Adams or cornerback Jaire Alexander (playing under a fifth-year option in 2022).
Is that what either side wants, though?
Rodgers has expressed an interest in the past about finishing his career in Green Bay and the Packers have profusely said over the past several months that they are committed to Rodgers for the foreseeable future, but the standoff between them is ongoing with 26 days to go until players are required to report to training camp. There’s also the report from The Athletic’s Bob McGinn back in May that the Packers already offered to make Rodgers the league’s highest-paid quarterback and he refused them.
The fact remains that until the Packers and Rodgers sort things out, there isn’t much flexibility for them to consider extending high-value free agents such as Adams, who Spotrac estimates could earn close to $25 million per season on his next NFL contract.
Adams Expresses Desire to Stay in Green Bay
Keeping someone like Adams in Green Bay seems like a no-brainer for the Packers. The 28-year-old All-Pro was largely considered one of the best wide receivers in the NFL and is coming off a year in which he set a franchise record with 115 receptions — while missing two regular-season games with an injury, no less. Everything from his yards per reception (98.1) to his catch percentage (77.2%) to his total touchdowns (18) tapped out at a career-high level.
Adams also doesn’t seem keen on finding a new team to represent, even though he acknowledges that Rodgers’ future could factor into his ultimate decision.
“I’m not planning on going anywhere,” Adams told Bleacher Report on June 24. “(Rodgers is) only one piece of it, though. Obviously, the quarterback situation helps it, but the stars got to align across the board as far as contractually. We’ll figure all that stuff out and let it happen. I’ll be at training camp like I said regardless, we’re going to play the season, and we’ll see how all of that pans out.”