Getty Aaron Rodgers with Davante Adams.
Green Bay Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers lost Davante Adams this offseason, yet the All Pro wide receiver can’t seem to keep the MVP’s name out of his mouth.
Adams more or less demanded a trade out of Green Bay, threatening to sit out the 2022 regular season after the Packers franchised him and then made a massive contract offer to entice him to stay. Ultimately, Green Bay acquiesced to Adams’ demands, shipping him to his team of choice, the Las Vegas Raiders, in return for that franchise’s first-round and second-round picks in this year’s NFL Draft.
As such, Adams signed a five-year deal worth $140 million with the Raiders and was reunited with his collegiate quarterback and best friend Derek Carr, who starts under center in Las Vegas. The media has since asked the wide receiver some tough questions about why he wanted out of Green Bay and why he chose Carr over Rodgers — as the former is unquestionably a solid NFL quarterback but the latter is a four time NFL MVP Award winner.
Several of Adams’ responses to these inquiries have ranged from curious to surprising, but his most recent comparison between the Rodgers and Carr has eyebrows raising across the league.
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Adams Again Puts Carr on Same Level as Rodgers in Puzzling Quote
GettyQuarterback Aaron Rodgers (left) of the Green Bay Packers congratulates former teammate and wide receiver Davante Adams (right) after Adams scored a touchdown against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on December 1, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Josina Anderson of CBS Sports HQ spoke with Adams during an interview on Friday, July 22, during which the wide receiver offered a bizarre comparison between the two quarterbacks. Essentially, he put Carr on Rodgers’ level despite a vast difference in their career accomplishments.
“Any time you change QBs from hall-of-famer to hall-of-famer it’s going to be a little bit of an adjustment.”
Davante Adams on the transition from Aaron Rodgers to Derek Carr as his QB.
“Any time you change QBs from Hall-of-Famer to Hall-of-Famer … it’s going to be a little bit of an adjustment,” Adams told Anderson. “Both are great players and great to be around, so I’m just enjoying that process and getting better myself.”
It wasn’t the first time that Adams has held up Carr as an equal to Rodgers while making public comments. The wideout did the same thing when speaking to reporters following a Raiders’ practice on June 9.
“As far as talent and ability it’s really similar, if I’m keeping it real,” Adams said, per ESPN.
Carr is Quality QB, Nowhere Near Rodgers’ NFL Status
GettyQuarterback Derek Carr of the Las Vegas Raiders reacts after an incomplete pass during the first half of a game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on November 24, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Rodgers has been in the NFL for 17 seasons, playing as the Packers’ starter for the last 14 of those. Carr has been in the league for eight years, all of which he has spent starting under center as a member of the Raiders.
Due to Rodgers’ longevity as a starter, which almost doubles the amount of time Carr has started in the NFL, career statistics are not a fair measure of comparison between the two. However, win/loss record, playoff success and accolades certainly are.
Rodgers is a 10-time Pro Bowler and a four-time All Pro. Carr has earned trips to three Pro Bowls but has never made an All Pro team. Rodgers also owns four NFL MVP Awards, including each of the last two. Carr has never come close to winning that honor.
Carr’s career record under center is 57-70, while Rodgers’ is 139-66-1. For the math geeks out there, those are win percentages of 44.8% for Carr and 67.5% for Rodgers. Carr has led the Raiders to the playoffs only twice in eight years, earning a postseason record of 0-2. On the other hand, Rodgers has led the Packers to the playoffs a total of 11 times, posting an 11-10 postseason record and winning a Super Bowl ring in 2010.
As far as accuracy is concerned, Rodgers edges out Carr in completion percentage narrowly at 65.3% compared to 65%. However, when it comes to protecting the football, Rodgers is the far superior quarterback.
Over the course of his career, Rodgers has thrown a total of 449 touchdowns compared to just 93 interceptions, a ratio of 4.8 to 1. Carr has tallied 193 touchdowns compared to 85 interceptions, a ratio of 2.27 to 1.
Like so many in the NFL, who think changing teams will help them, but then find out the support isn’t there and they flounder. Teams have different chemistry and I expect he will have a tough start. Meanwhile, I’m thinking the Pack has several tried and true receivers who can show, step by step, ‘how to’ do the position to the young additions. We’ll know by the Bills game.