Davante Adams‘ stint with the Packers has come to a sudden end. The Packers are trading the Pro Bowl wideout to the Raiders, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The Packers will receive the Raiders’ first- and second-round picks in this year’s draft, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The Raiders are also inking Adams to a record-breaking contract. The wideout will sign a five-year, $141.25MM deal with Las Vegas, with his $28.25MM average annual salary setting a new record for the position (per Rapoport).
There were whispers that Adams could be on the move, but the return of Aaron Rodgers had many assuming that the star wide receiver would be back in Green Bay next season. Of course, there was still the matter of a contract; the Packers ended up franchising Adams when they couldn’t agree on an extension prior to the tender deadline, but the wideout later made it clear that he wouldn’t play the 2022 season on the franchise tag (one-year, $20.5MM). Adams has been pushing for a megadeal to top DeAndre Hopkins‘ $27MM/year contract, and per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky (on Twitter), the Packers were willing to meet his asking price. However, Adams ultimately wanted to play elsewhere, leading to the trade.
Whenever a potential Adams trade was brought up, the Raiders were consistently mentioned as a top suitor. This wasn’t only due to the Raiders’ need for a top-end wide receiver; it was also because of the friendship between Adams and quarterback Derek Carr, who were teammates at Fresno State. Carr said last summer that he would “welcome” a reunion with his good friend, and he acknowledged that he’d be “recruiting hard” by the time the 2022 offseason came around. Ultimately, Carr got his wish, and he’ll now be adding one of the NFL’s most dynamic receivers.
A few eyebrows were raised when it was recently reported that Adams had bought a home in the Las Vegas area, and Rapoport tweets that the receiver will actually be neighbors with his new QB. Rapoport adds that the Raiders and Packers had been working on a deal for a few days, although NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the trade was dead as recently as yesterday.
Adams had a standout career with the Packers aftre being selected in the second round of the 2014 draft. The receiver earned a pair of first-team All-Pro nods and made five-straight Pro Bowls during his time in Green Bay. After putting up some incredible numbers in recent seasons, Adams somehow took it to another level in 2021. The wideout finished the season with a career-high 1,553 receiving yards on 123 receptions. He also hauled in 11 touchdowns.
Josh McDaniels and co. were reportedly seeking a top-end receiver to pair with receiver Hunter Renfrow and tight end Darren Waller. DeSean Jackson provided a bit of a spark after joining the organization, but there was no guarantee he would stick around (plus he profiles as a lower-end WR). The team also lost a key future piece in Henry Ruggs.
While Green Bay settled their issues with their franchise QB, they now have some major question marks elsewhere on offense. The team’s receivers depth chart is currently led by Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb, and the Bears signed away Equanimeous St. Brown earlier today. It will be interesting to see if the Packers are able to attract one of the few remaining FA wideouts, and Schefter confirms (on Twitter) that the team is indeed pursuing veteran receivers. And for those wondering, Rapoport tweets that Rodgers has indeed signed his new contract. In fact, Rodgers was aware that Adams was done with the Packers when he inked his new deal, so this trade won’t come as any surprise to the QB (per Rapoport).
