Davante Adams

Jets Expected To Pursue Davante Adams Trade In 2024

November 20th, 2023 at 10:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Again in quarterback turmoil and likely headed toward their 13th straight season without a playoff berth, the Jets will need to regroup in 2024. Even if Aaron Rodgers‘ long-rumored comeback from Achilles surgery may not end up happening this season, he remains under contract — at a fully guaranteed rate — in 2024.

With Rodgers expected to play a 20th season, the Jets are likely to revisit their attempt to acquire Davante Adams. Looking into Adams this summer and at the trade deadline, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter notes the Jets have been monitoring the Raiders wide receiver since acquiring Rodgers in April. The embattled AFC East team will be expected to pursue an Adams trade once again next year.

Adams, who will turn 31 next month, is in the second season of a five-year, $140MM contract. The Raiders gave Adams this deal upon acquiring him via trade in March 2022. At that time, Rodgers attempted to convince the All-Pro wide receiver to stay with the Packers. Adams also admitted the Packers’ extension offer bettered the Raiders’ but also indicated Rodgers’ uncertain status in Green Bay steered him away. At the time, the Raiders employed former Adams teammate and longtime friend Derek Carr. Major changes have come to pass in Las Vegas this year, however, complicating Adams’ status with the Raiders.

Cutting Carr and signing Jimmy Garoppolo, the Raiders have already benched the latter. While the team is 2-2 with Aidan O’Connell at the helm this season, the rookie threw three interceptions in a loss to the Dolphins on Sunday. Still, Adams has been more prominently involved in the offense compared to the final weeks of the short-lived Josh McDaniels–Dave Ziegler regime. After voicing frustration with his role in the offense in McDaniels’ final days running the show, the 10th-year veteran has been more content with this Raiders operation. But trade rumors figure to persist.

Although the McDaniels-Ziegler pair made Adams off-limits in trades before the deadline, the Raiders may well have new leadership by the time Adams is again eligible to be dealt. Antonio Pierce and interim GM Champ Kelly are in auditions, but organizations generally do not take interim tags off leaders. Neither Pierce nor Kelly is out of the mix, but both staying will be the less likely scenario than Mark Davis hiring a new HC-GM tandem. Such a decision would seemingly move the Raiders closer to dealing Adams.

It would cost the Raiders $23.6MM in dead money to trade Adams before June 1 of next year, and Schefter adds the Raiders’ decision on their top weapon will also hinge on how this season finishes. Sitting on 741 receiving yards (just 13th in the NFL), Adams is on pace for his fifth 1,000-yard season. Though, he led the NFL in touchdown receptions in 2020 and ’22 and topped 1,500 yards with Carr last year. Adams’ stat line could certainly determine if he asks out of Vegas, and a New York move would make sense.

Despite signing Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman in free agency, the Jets chased Odell Beckham Jr. largely because of Rodgers’ wishes. The talented wideout instead signed with the Ravens, punting on a Jets visit due to the $15MM guarantee Baltimore proposed. Adams’ accomplishments lap his 2014 classmate’s, and Rodgers would almost definitely be interested in the Jets adding the marquee pass catcher to their Garrett Wilson-dependent receiver stable. Wilson’s 641 receiving yards lead all Jets wideouts by nearly 400; no other Gang Green receiver — amid Zach Wilson‘s continued struggles — has topped 300 this season.

Following his trade to the Jets, Rodgers took issue with the Packers’ approach to Adams’ extension leading up to the blockbuster trade. Rodgers dropped from first to 26th in QBR last year, with the Packers having also let Marquez Valdes-Scantling leave in free agency. An Adams-Wilson duo would represent one of the more talented tandems in recent memory, and although hurdles exist to a reunion, it almost certainly will be a Jets consideration once the season ends.

Panthers Pursued WRs Davante Adams And Tee Higgins, DE Montez Sweat At Deadline

November 12th, 2023 at 9:25pm CST by Rory Parks

Despite a win-loss record that placed them squarely in the “sellers” category, we heard in the run-up to last month’s trade deadline that the Panthers were operating as both buyers and sellers. We also heard that Carolina was especially interested in acquiring a top-flight wide receiver, and to that end, David Newton of ESPN.com reports that the team pursued both the Raiders’ Davante Adams and the Bengals’ Tee Higgins, though neither club was willing to make a deal. Newton adds that GM Scott Fitterer also tried to acquire DE Montez Sweat, whom the Commanders ultimately traded to the Bears.

The early struggles of rookie quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, have created plenty of concern among the Panthers’ fanbase, especially since No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud is playing at a high level for the Texans and since Carolina paid such a premium for the privilege to climb up the draft board to select Young. However, Newton writes that head coach Frank Reich and general manager Scott Fitterer still believe their plan to trade high-end draft capital — including their 2024 first-round pick — and top receiver D.J. Moore was a sound one that will pay dividends in the future. Likewise, Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required) says that the organization is still unified in the belief that Young is the long-term answer at quarterback.

In order to get the most out of Young, the Panthers understand that they need to give him more playmakers, which is why they pursued Adams and Higgins (they were not alone in that regard, as the Jets made a play for both receivers as well). Adams’ career accomplishments, which include six Pro Bowl nods and three First Team All-Pro selections, dwarf those of Higgins, who has not yet made a Pro Bowl. Nonetheless, Higgins is six years younger than Adams, is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, and clearly has WR1 upside.

While Adams is under club control through 2026, Higgins is due to be a free agent at season’s end. If they had acquired the Clemson product, the Panthers would have needed to sign him to an extension or put the franchise tag on him, so his contract situation would have been a priority agenda item alongside a new deal (or franchise tag) for edge rusher Brian Burns. According to Newton, Carolina retained Burns through a second consecutive deadline in which he generated plenty of trade interest because the team views him and Young as foundational pieces of a future contender. Though the Panthers are presently without a 2024 first-rounder, they do have $42MM in projected cap space next season along with six other draft picks, and the plan is to turn those assets into talent to complement Burns and Young.

The latest reporting on the matter suggests that Burns and the Panthers are not actively engaged in contract talks, and Newton confirms prior reports that the two sides were far apart when negotiations stopped in December. If player and team cannot come to terms, Burns will be hit with the franchise tag, according to Newton.

If Fitterer were successful in his pursuit of Sweat, he certainly would have had a dynamic pair of pass rushers to headline his defense. However, Sweat was also in a contract year at the time of his trade and signed a lucrative extension shortly after arriving in Chicago, so the Panthers would have needed to authorize a similar contract for Sweat or quickly close the gap with Burns in order to assure themselves of the chance to retain both players.

As it stands, Fitterer & Co. will be able to focus most of their early offseason efforts on Burns’ new deal — if Fitterer is still around, that is. Per Russini, there are some members of the organization that believe the roster has not been assembled correctly, and owner David Tepper is frustrated by a Reich-orchestrated offense that league sources have described as “boring,” “predictable,” and “lifeless.” Reich, of course, was hired by Fitterer, and Russini says the “message in the building” is that ownership needs to see offensive improvement in the second half of the season.

If that does not happen, then Russini expects changes to be made. It is unclear if that simply means a shake-up to Reich’s offensive staff, or if Reich himself could be in jeopardy. It is fair to wonder whether Fitterer might also be on the hot seat, though ownership apparently is satisfied with how the defense and special teams units are performing.

Jets Pursued Davante Adams, Tee Higgins, Mike Evans At Deadline

November 4th, 2023 at 8:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

NOVEMBER 4: Confirming the Jets’ attempt at pulling off an Adams trade, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds that New York contemplated such a move “throughout the summer.” Patience was exercised in terms of waiting for when to approach the Raiders, and a swap before the deadline would not have come as a shock given his frustrations with the previous regime. With Vegas having gone in a new organizational direction, though, it will be interesting to see how active the Jets are in making a renewed push for Adams in the offseason.

NOVEMBER 2: Mentioned as pursuing Mike Evans during training camp, the Jets do not appear to have shut down their efforts to upgrade their receiving corps. They kept going through this week’s trade deadline.

New York reached out on Evans once again during deadline week, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, while calling the Raiders and Bengals on Davante Adams and Tee Higgins. The Jets did not end up making a move, and Rapoport adds the team circling back to wideouts did not involve conversations past the exploratory stage.

The Adams call obviously generates the most intrigue, given the Jets’ April trade for Aaron Rodgers. Adams going from the Raiders’ setup to Zach Wilson might not have been particularly appealing, but his Raiders extension runs through 2026. Rodgers also continues to reference an against-the-odds return from an Achilles tear this season — to the point the Jets are also aiming for a late-season return. Adams certainly would have moved the needle opposite Garrett Wilson this season, but even if Rodgers does not come back this year, he is expected to return for the 2024 season. Adams might be back in play ahead of that point, though the Raiders did not make him available this week.

The Raiders executed a surprise housecleaning shortly after midnight Wednesday morning, firing Josh McDaniels, GM Dave Ziegler and OC Mick Lombardi. This came just more than a day after Adams violently slammed his helmet down during a one-sided loss to the Lions. Adams has not topped 60 receiving yards in a game since Week 4; the ex-Rodgers WR1 has been vocal about the Raiders QBs’ inconsistency in locating him. With the power duo that traded for Adams gone, his Las Vegas future is in limbo. It is interesting Mark Davis let McDaniels and Ziegler operate through the deadline, considering his plan to scrap the setup he authorized in 2022. But for the time being, Adams is effectively trapped.

Adams, 30, showed support for the Raiders despite the Derek Carr decision this offseason. But with Jimmy Garoppolo struggling, Adams is now on a team executing a midseason reboot. The Jets, however, could have another chance to reunite Rodgers and Adams in 2024. An anonymous GM told the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora that Adams will be traded during the ’24 offseason. It is unclear how the next Raiders staff will view Adams, but after he anchored three straight playoff-bound Packer teams’ receiving corps, languishing on a team potentially aiming to rebuild might not work at this point in the All-Pro’s career.

The Jets could also have another chance on Evans and Higgins. As of now, both are on track for free agency. Evans does not plan to talk an extension with the Buccaneers again, and with the perennial 1,000-yard pass catcher never previously reaching free agency, that would be an interesting chapter. The Bucs are not believed to have made Evans an offer to stay yet. Evans, 30, is in the final season of a five-year, $82.5MM extension. Fox Sports’ Greg Auman also adds the Jets did not call about Evans this week. While differing reports have come out about this situation, it does not appear any substantive Jets-Bucs conversations have occurred about the 10th-year receiver.

Higgins could be a franchise tag candidate, which would allow the Bengals to retain he and Ja’Marr Chase for another year. That said, the contract-year wideout has struggled this season. Joe Burrow‘s return to full strength may lead to a reignited Higgins soon, but thus far, the former second-round pick has compiled just 19 receptions for 218 yards in six games. Higgins and the Bengals could not agree on an extension this summer, and he is not planning in-season discussions. Teams called Cincinnati about Higgins, but considering the Bengals’ Super Bowl window, they were never expected to entertain inquiries. A more realistic trade scenario involving Higgins would be a tag-and-trade move next year.

With none of these Hail Mary-type trade efforts succeeding, the Jets will continue to rely on Garrett Wilson and Rodgers come-with guys Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb. Wilson is the only Jet to have surpassed 260 receiving yards this season. But these trade inquiries point to the team being interested in adding another impact weapon for Rodgers in 2024.

AFC Trade Rumors: Patriots, Broncos, Renfrow

October 31st, 2023 at 10:15pm CST by Ely Allen

The Patriots fielded lots of calls for trade offers during today’s trade deadline, but two of the bigger names on their roster reportedly received no interest. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, teams called New England to take the temperature on pass rusher Josh Uche, safety Kyle Dugger, and tackle Michael Onwenu, while quarterback Mac Jones and veteran running back Ezekiel Elliott didn’t receive any nibbles.

Uche, Dugger, and Onwenu are all facing contract-years, so they all held a decent chance of being dealt. Uche was reportedly the most likely, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. After a couple quiet years to start his career, Uche burst onto the scene in 2022, combining with Matt Judon for half of the team’s 54 sacks last year. Mike Dugar of The Athletic reports that the Seahawks held serious interest in Uche “with talks going pretty deep,” but ultimately, landed Leonard Williams from New York instead. With Seattle filling their defensive line need with Williams, Uche will remain in New England.

As will, Jones and Elliott. It’s unclear how serious the Patriots were, if at all, about seeking trade partners for the two offensive contributors. The team will face a fifth-round option decision for Jones before next year, while Elliott will become a free agent at the end of the season.

Here are a few other rumors from around the AFC, starting out West:

It was a similar scene up in Mile High, where the Broncos decided not to move any of their potential trade assets due to a lack of serious interest. While the team reportedly did receive offers on players like receivers Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton, they didn’t gauge the offers as good enough to move on, per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report. Mike Klis of 9NEWS relayed that the team is “confident in its group of players.” While it seemed the team may be willing to dive into a rebuild, beating a sick Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs may have convinced them otherwise.
Remaining in the West, the Raiders were unable to find a buyer for wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, to little surprise. Las Vegas gave Renfrow a big-money extension after his Pro Bowl season and has diminished his role severely ever since. So far this year, Renfrow has been on the field for over half of the Raiders’ offensive snaps in only three games. According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, the remaining guaranteed money in Renfrow’s contract prevented any teams from fully following through on their interest in the veteran receiver. With Renfrow staying put and the many sources shooting down reports of wide receiver Davante Adams wanting out of Vegas, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Raiders stood pat at the trade deadline.

Raiders Committed To Retaining Davante Adams

October 21st, 2023 at 9:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

Davante Adams‘ future with the Raiders has been called into question on a number of occasions recently, but it appears secure for the time being. The All-Pro wideout will not be traded ahead of this year’s October 31 deadline, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

The Raiders made a major commitment in Adams in terms of draft capital (by sending the Packers their 2022 first- and second-round selections) and finances (by immediately inking him to a five-year, $140MM deal upon acquisition). However, the departure of quarterback Derek Carr – a major reason why Adams specifically targeted Vegas as his preferred post-Green Bay destination – has led to questions regarding his tenure with the Raiders.

The 30-year-old publicly questioned his fit within a Jimmy Garoppolo-led offense during the offseason, and the Raiders have seen mixed results on that side of the ball so far. Adams was a focal point in the team’s passing game through the first four games of the year, including a two-week stretch where he combined for 33 targets. In the pair of contests since then (both wins), however, the six-time Pro Bowler has been targeted only nine total times.

“If it don’t look like it’s supposed to look, then I’m going to be frustrated if I’m not a part of that plan,” Adams said earlier this week, via Schefter, when reflecting on his recent drop in usage. ”I have the opportunity to go and change that and make it look like a much better picture out there, and if that doesn’t happen, then I’m going to be frustrated. If Jakobi [Meyers] goes out and has a monster game or if the offense is scoring every five plays… then it is what it is. It’s not about me, but I’m one of the bigger pieces as to why this offense is going to go. And if I’m not getting it, then that’s obviously not according to plan.”

As Schefter notes, the Raiders have no interest in moving Adams regardless of his intentions regarding staying or leaving Vegas. A report from earlier this month pointed to him remaining committed to the Raiders, so today’s update comes as little surprise. On the other hand, though, a potential move has been on other teams’ radars recently.

Potentially interested clubs have “contemplated” making a move for Adams in the past few days, per Schefter, despite the high price which would be required to make a move feasible for the Raiders and the contractual obligations an acquiring team would take on. Adams is due a fully guaranteed $16.89MM salary next year, and his restructured pact calls for untenable cap hits of $44.1MM in 2025 and ’26. Teams gave thought to a trade involving Adams last year, Schefter adds, though they may not have been the same ones which considered a swap more recently.

In any case, the 3-3 Raiders – who will have Brian Hoyer under center on Sunday in place of the injured Garoppolo – will finish out the year with Adams still in the fold. It will be interesting to see how involved he is in the offense moving forward and how his relationship with head coach Josh McDaniels and the team’s front office evolves through the remainder of the campaign.

Davante Adams Not Planning To Seek Trade

October 5th, 2023 at 10:16am CST by Sam Robinson

Mustering only 17 points against a Broncos defense that has been by far the league’s worst over the first four games has kept the Raiders from an 0-4 start. They rank outside the top 20 in total offense and points, opening the door to bigger-picture questions.

Las Vegas’ offense looks quite different from the top-flight attacks Davante Adams aided in Green Bay and is not the one he signed up for, seeing as longtime friend Derek Carr was booted after the ex-Fresno State teammates reunited for one season. While Adams would qualify as a splashy option in trades, such a scenario does not look to be on the radar.

Adams expressed curiosity when assessing his fit with Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the All-Pro wide receiver is not eyeing a trade out of Las Vegas. The ex-Packers star is aiming for a long-term Raiders stay.

After helping the Packers to three straight playoff byes to close out his tenure, Adams pinpointed the Raiders as his ideal destination during the 2022 offseason. Carr played a key part in Las Vegas becoming Adams’ preferred landing spot, but he said before the team’s Week 18 game last year — a contest the Raiders played after Carr left the team — he wanted to stick around. Through four games, Adams does not appear to have changed his mind.

Even as the Raiders struggled in Josh McDaniels‘ debut — a season in which Carr took a statistical step back — Adams showed he could thrive independent of Aaron Rodgers, posting a third straight first-team All-Pro season. This year, the 30-year-old wideout is at 33 receptions for 397 yards and three touchdowns. He caught six passes for 66 yards and no scores last week sans Garoppolo, and while the Raiders passed on drafting a quarterback despite visiting with each of this class’ top signal-callers, Fowler adds Adams is high on fourth-round rookie Aidan O’Connell.

Khalil Mack‘s six-sack spree notwithstanding, O’Connell threw for 238 yards and had the Raiders at the Chargers’ 3-yard line in the final minutes. An Asante Samuel Jr. interception nixed a potential game-tying score, though O’Connell also fumbled twice as Mack revved up. Garoppolo is not in any present danger of losing his job. But O’Connell profiles as a player to watch, especially considering he sits behind the NFL’s most injury-prone starting quarterback and became the Raiders’ pick after they met with Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, Will Levis and Hendon Hooker.

If the Raiders’ struggles continue, Adams’ status will be worth monitoring. His five-year, $140MM contract also features a fully guaranteed 2024 salary ($16.89MM), with a total of $42.9MM injury guarantee shifting to a full guarantee this past March. This would affect Adams’ trade value, but for now, that appears a moot point for a Raiders team that has seen Adams and No. 2 wideout Jakobi Meyers produce to start the season.

Raiders WR Davante Adams Injured In Practice, Not “Crazy Serious”

August 11th, 2023 at 7:56pm CST by Ely Allen

The Raiders experienced a bit of a scare today when star wide receiver Davante Adams limped off the practice field with what appeared to be a right leg injury, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Luckily, it appears that disaster was averted as head coach Josh McDaniels claimed the injury was not “crazy serious,” per the staff at NFL.com.

McDaniels told reporters today that, after a big hit took Adams out of practice, the veteran wide out had avoided a serious injury. Although the lick was bad enough to force Adams off the field, McDaniels asserted that it was a clean “bang-bang-play” devoid of any ill intent.

Adams has been a first-team All-Pro selection in each of the past three years and a Pro Bowler for the last six. The recognition becomes that much more impressive when you take into account that he missed at least one game in five of those six seasons, missing 10 games over his final five years in Green Bay.

He rebounded in a big way during his first season away from the Packers. Last year in Las Vegas, Adams played in every game of the season for the first time since 2016 and started every game of the season for the first time in his career. In doing so, he recorded his fourth 100-catch season, his second straight season with over 1,500 receiving yards, and led the league in touchdown receptions for the second time in three years.

Adams has proven that he can make an impact even while dealing with nagging injuries that hold him out of games here and there. Still, the Raiders would like to see their most-productive receiver enter the season with no restrictions. Although McDaniels’s assessment doesn’t seem to reflect that situation, it appears that the worst-case scenario has been avoided for now.

Assault Charge Against Davante Adams Dropped

June 24th, 2023 at 10:34pm CST by Ben Levine

Earlier this month, a prosecutor dismissed the misdemeanor assault charges against wideout Davante Adams, a spokeswoman for the Kansas City municipal court told Robert A. Cronkleton of the Kansas City Star. The charges stemmed from a post-game incident at Arrowhead Stadium back in October.

Following the Raiders’ Week 5 loss to the Chiefs in Kansas City, Adams allegedly shoved a cameraman to the ground, injuring the individual. Video of the incident was captured on the live broadcast. The receiver later apologized for the confrontation.

Adams was charged with the crime shortly thereafter. The charges were dismissed on June 5, and per Cronkleton, the charge “is now considered a closed confidential case under Missouri law.” Adams still faces a civil lawsuit filed by the cameraman, who claims he was diagnosed with a concussion and “feared for his life” during the incident. The individual claims he’s also been harassed online.

As we noted back in May, it was believed the NFL would await the outcome of the misdemeanor charges before deciding on any fine or suspension. The NFL could still realistically discipline Adams under their personal conduct policy, but yesterday’s development likely helps the receiver’s case in that regard.

During his first season in Las Vegas, Adams earned another first-team All-Pro nod after finishing with 100 catches for 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns. Next season, Adams will be playing with his third QB in three years, as the Raiders replaced Derek Carr with Jimmy Garoppolo.

Aaron Rodgers Addresses Packers Exit

May 31st, 2023 at 10:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Aaron Rodgers‘ Green Bay departure would have been far messier had it occurred in 2021, when he requested to be moved. But the divorce, coming after a prolonged trade negotiation, has still produced a stream of headlines. The new Jets quarterback attempted to set the record straight regarding a few key 2020s Packers plotlines.

Shortly after the Packers traded up for Jordan Love in 2020, Rodgers said he no longer knew finishing his career in Green Bay was realistic. Before the 2021 trade request, Rodgers earned his third MVP honor despite the Packers using their first-round pick on a backup quarterback. While the Love choice did not directly impede Green Bay in 2020, the team suffered another narrow NFC championship defeat — at home against Tampa Bay — as its first-round pick did not contribute. That loss began an annual run of Rodgers-driven offseason uncertainty in Green Bay.

“Did I wanna, years down the line, go, ‘Well, what if we had just taken somebody who could impact our team because we had just gone to the NFC championship?’ Yeah, of course,” Rodgers said (via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman; subscription required) of the Packers’ decision to draft Love. “I don’t think any other competitor would say anything different.

“… We didn’t win the Super Bowl. [The Packers] had their guy in waiting. I knew that [the team going with Love] was always a possibility, that they would wanna go, ‘You know what? We tried hard. We tried to win a championship. We had a good team, but now it might be time to go with Jordan, move some contract stuff around and do that.'”

The organization made that decision two years after Rodgers requested a trade. The Packers could have obtained more for Rodgers in 2021, given his age and MVP form, but they rebuffed trade overtures during that offseason. Rodgers’ agent is believed to have made a blunt request to Packers president Mark Murphy at that time: trade Rodgers or fire GM Brian Gutekunst. The Rodgers-Gutekunst feud simmered throughout the ’21 offseason, and this ultimatum surfaced that summer. Wednesday’s report lends more support to the Rodgers-or-Gutekunst rumors. The 18-year veteran told Schneidman communication between he and Green Bay management improved once he returned to the team, but it still pales in comparison to the talks he has held with Jets management in the weeks since he arrived.

Although Rodgers re-signed with the Packers — on a three-year, $150.8MM deal the Jets are now in the process of restructuring — in March 2022, team brass has revealed dissatisfaction with the future Hall of Famer’s commitment level last year. The Packers viewed Rodgers skipping OTAs last year as detrimental to Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs‘ rookie-year development, Albert Breer of SI.com notes, and Schneidman adds the team was dissatisfied with Rodgers’ day-to-day commitment throughout last season. The four-time MVP, who has been at Jets OTAs this offseason, disputed the notion his 2022 absence hindered the Packers.

“When I’m in, I’m all in, and you wanna ride with offseason workouts?” Rodgers said. “I won MVP without doing offseason workouts. Like, was my commitment any less then? I’d say not at all. The way that I come back to work, not just physically in good shape but mentally refreshed, is the best thing for me to have the season I wanted to have during those in Green Bay. I think that’s just a cop-out written to try and find something to disparage me about that, honestly, when you know what offseason workouts are really about, it’s completely ridiculous.”

The key difference between Rodgers’ 2021 OTAs absence and his 2022 no-show: receiving talent. Green Bay dealt Davante Adams to Las Vegas and let Marquez Valdes-Scantling leave for Kansas City in free agency last March. Adams has said the Packers’ final offer surpassed the Raiders’ deal (five years, $140MM) and that he wanted to leave Green Bay. But the sides also went through failed negotiations during the 2021 offseason. Adams sought to be the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver during the summer ’21 talks; Rodgers said the Packers’ initial offer was nowhere close, indicating it checked in below $20MM per year.

Adams broke off talks with the Packers ahead of last season and played out the $14.5MM-per-year extension he had signed in 2017. Although the Packers upped their offer before franchise-tagging him in 2022, Rodgers wonders if the team’s early hesitancy affected the All-Pro wideout’s desire to stay.

“They offered him less money than Christian Kirk and [Adams] is going, ‘Are you serious right now? I’m the best receiver in the league, and you’re gonna offer me less than Christian Kirk?’” Rodgers said of the Pack’s offer compared to Kirk’s $18MM-AAV Jaguars deal. “With all due respect, he’s not on Davante’s level.

“I’m sure that the team will say that’s just the business of negotiation — it’s like, yeah, but you’re also sending a message to that guy, and a lot of times it can stick with guys and make them a little sour on things. … That goes back to the first offer that they made, and I don’t think [the Packers] had the foresight — obviously didn’t have the foresight.”

Rodgers’ numbers suffered without Adams and Valdes-Scantling, with Doubs and Watson — the latter’s late-season surge notwithstanding — not measuring up to the veterans’ contributions. Gutekunst deferred to Rodgers’ MVP awards when asked in January if the veteran starter or Love gave the Packers a better chance to win. Three-plus months later, Rodgers became a Jet. Gutekunst did not believe he could sit Love for a fourth season, per ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky and Rich Cimini; the sixth-year GM had said many times this offseason the fourth-year backup was ready to play.

Gutekunst and Rodgers did not meet this offseason; scheduling conflicts have been cited. The Packers have also accused Rodgers of rebuffing efforts to meet, per ESPN.com. Rodgers said he reached out to Packers management regarding a meeting with the front office and Matt LaFleur before he trekked to the darkness retreat, but after he referenced the Pack’s lack of communication, a desire to play for the Jets — rather than retire — emerged post-darkness. As Brett Favre did 15 years ago, Rodgers will now attempt to prove the Packers wrong.

“Did Brian text me more than I texted him? Yeah, but did I ghost him? No,” Rodgers said, via Schneidman. “I texted him back. There was back-and-forths that we had and so this is the story you wanna go with? You’re gonna stand on this hill of austerity and say that arguably in the conversation of the best player in your franchise history, you’re gonna say I couldn’t get a hold of him and that’s why we had to move on?

“Like, come on, man. Just tell the truth; you wanted to move on. You didn’t like the fact that we didn’t communicate all the time. Like, listen, I talk to the people that I like.”

Davante Adams Named In Lawsuit Over Shoving Incident

May 26th, 2023 at 3:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

The way in which Raiders wideout Davante Adams exited the field after the team’s loss to the Chiefs in October has once again become the source of a legal development. Adams shoved photographer Park Zebley to the ground as he was departing GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, which raised the potential for legal and league discipline to follow.

Adams has now been named in a civil lawsuit filed by Zebley, as detailed by David Hudnall of the Kansas City Star. Aside from the 30-year-old, the Raiders, Chiefs, the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority and Landmark Events Staffing have also been named as defendants for their various levels of responsibility for Adams’ conduct and the general safety of personnel on and around the field.

Adams – who apologized for the incident via social media following the game – is currently facing a misdemeanor assault charge for his actions. His next scheduled court date is June 26; it is believed the NFL will await the outcome of those proceedings to decide if any further discipline in the form of a fine or suspension will be necessary. This latest development marks another potential turning point in this case, though.

“A municipal misdemeanor battery charge is not sufficient,” a statement from Zebley reads. “I’m looking for justice. You can’t shove someone down and walk off like it didn’t happen. Not in real life.”

Zebley contends that, in addition to the injuries he sustained (including a concussion), he received death threats online following the incident. As a result, the 20-year-old “felt concerned for his own safety and sought counseling and stayed away from his apartment.”

“We’re in the beginning stages of this,” Zebley’s attorney Dan Curry said. “But [Zebley] is looking for compensation for what happened to him, and if a jury has to decide, then that’s who’ll decide.”

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