Getty Josh Jacobs tried to recruit Davante Adams back to the Green Bay Packers.
The Green Bay Packers made a splash signing with Josh Jacobs, and the veteran running back revealed that he asked Davante Adams about a potential reunion with his old team.
Jacobs spoke with reporters during OTAs on Wednesday, May 29. Along with heaping praise on Green Bay’s young receivers, Jacobs mentioned that he texted Adams shortly after signing with the Packers.
“When I came out here … I sent him the little eyes emoji,” Jacobs told reporters. “I said, ‘You thinking about coming back?’ But man, he loved it.”
While it doesn’t seem like anything came out of it, Packers fans will appreciate that Jacobs took a shot.
Would Davante Adams Come Back to Green Bay?
Adams was a superstar during his time in Green Bay. Unfortunately, it’s highly unlikely that a reunion would happen any time soon.
The Packers stayed patient with Adams after a quiet start to his career. He hit his stride with a 12-touchdown season in his third year in Green Bay, quickly turning into one of the best receivers in the league.
In eight seasons with the Packers, Adams was a two-time first-team All-Pro, five-time Pro Bowler, and led the NFL in receiving touchdowns with 18 in 2020.
Despite all of his success in Green Bay, Adams was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders prior to the 2022 season. He admitted afterwards that he left due to the uncertainty surrounding the future of Aaron Rodgers while getting a chance to reunite with his college quarterback in Derek Carr.
Things haven’t gone according to plan for Adams and the Raiders. However, he continues to state that he has zero regrets requesting to be traded from the Packers.
Even if the two sides were interested in a move, Adams is in the middle of a $141 million contract that would be extremely difficult for the Packers to manage. On top of that, the Packers have already built out an extremely talented group of ascending young receivers to develop alongside Jordan Love.
Packers fans may keep dreaming about an Adams reunion, but the reality of it is highly unlikely.
Josh Jacobs Has Big Shoes to Fill
His recruiting efforts may have fallen short, but Jacobs has a much bigger role to fill at running back.
The Packers signed Jacobs to a four-year, $48 million deal to start free agency. Hours after that signing happened, the Packers cut ties with Aaron Jones.
Jones was a fan favorite in Green Bay. He left the Packers as one of the all-time leading rushers in franchise history. To make matters worse, he signed with the rival Minnesota Vikings almost immediately after being released.
That puts a lot of pressure on Jacobs to perform in 2024. He was a first-team All-Pro in 2022 with a league-leading 1,653 rushing yards. However, he saw a significant downturn in production this past season, averaging a career-low 3.5 yards per carry.
The Raiders struggled across the board offensively last season. Packers fans are hoping that’s the main reason Jacobs struggled in 2023, and that he’ll return to his 2022 form.
If that happens, then the sting of losing Jones won’t hurt as badly for Packers fans.