The Los Angeles Rams already know what Davante Adams can do near the goal line.
One decorated former NFL star believes the veteran receiver could have even more coming in 2026.
Retired offensive tackle Terron Armstead included Adams on his “breakout watch” via an X post from “The Set with Terron Armstead”, grouping the six-time Pro Bowler with four other players he expects to take a jump this season.
Jaelan Phillips, Chris Olave, Davante Adams, Jihaad Campbell and George Pickens are set for breakout seasons in 2026 😤
Who’s on your breakout watch?
“Terron Armstead is predicting BIG seasons from these 5 guys this year,” the show wrote on X, adding that the group is “set for breakout seasons in 2026.”
Calling Adams a breakout candidate is unusual on its face. He has cleared 1,000 receiving yards six times, made three first-team All-Pro squads and built a playmaking timeline that puts him among the most accomplished wide receivers of his generation.
But after a first season in Los Angeles that was dominant in one category and quieter in others, Armstead’s prediction gives the Rams an compelling benchmark entering Week 1.
Armstead Puts Adams on 2026 Breakout Watch
Armstead retired in 2025 after 12 NFL seasons with the Saints and Dolphins. He finished his career as a five-time Pro Bowler and a 2018 second-team All-Pro, giving his player evaluations some gravity.
His Adams call also comes with room for interpretation. The 33-year-old hardly needs a traditional career breakthrough. A statistical jump, however, is realistic after Adams finished his first Rams season with 60 receptions for 789 yards in 14 regular-season games.
The touchdown production was a different story.
Adams caught 14 scores, a career high that led the NFL despite his three missed games. He then added 185 receiving yards and another touchdown over the postseason.
That made him one of the league’s most dangerous finishing threats while leaving open the possibility of a larger all-around receiving season.
Adams also returned to the NFL Top 100 this summer at No. 53 after missing the list in 2025, a ranking that indicated players around the league still view him as a high-end weapon even as he moves deeper into his 30s.
Adams Has Room to Grow After NFL-Best TD Season
The next step may depend on whether Adams and Matthew Stafford can turn last season’s red-zone connection into more steady production between the 20s.
Adams didn’t reach 1,000 yards in 2025, snapping a run in which he had topped that mark in six of the previous seven seasons when combining his production between teams in 2024. He still averaged 13.2 yards per catch last year, his best figure since 2022.
There’s also a larger role for him inside the Rams’ leadership structure. Head coach Sean McVay announced Aug. 31 that Adams was voted a team captain for the first time in Los Angeles.
The moment of Armstead’s prediction puts the spotlight on Adams just before the Rams open the season against the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 10 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia.
Anyway, a “breakout” year for Adams would look different than it would for a younger player. It could mean pairing the touchdown dominance he showed in 2025 with the receiving volume that defined much of his prime.
Once that happens, Armstead’s label for a veteran star could end up looking more fitting than it first sounded.
LA Rams’ Davante Adams Gets ‘Breakout’ Forecast From Former All-Pro