The Green Bay Packers traded wide receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday in exchange for a first-round pick and second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
While Adams and Green Bay had experienced some friction in recent days over his next contract, the move still caught many off guard. Namely because the Packers were fresh off re-signing quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a massive deal, and Adams has played an integral role in the reigning two-time league MVP’s success as of late.
Naturally, this prompted an obvious question: how does Rodgers feel about this?
Late Thursday, an answerer emerged.
“Per a source, the Packers we’re willing to pay Adams equally to what the Raiders are with this new deal but Adams preferred to play elsewhere,” reported ESPN NFL insider Rob Demovsky.
“Aaron Rodgers was aware of the developments with Adams as they unfolded in recent days.”
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network seemed to back that general sentiment up.
“While Aaron Rodgers was negotiating his contract, he knew Davante Adams would never play for the Packers again,” he wrote.
“The situation was too far gone. Something had to give. And when Adams informed [Green Bay] he wasn’t playing on the tag, talks got fired up. Now, Adams will be on the Raiders.”
Presumably the Packers have promised Rodgers that they won’t make the same mistake twice in regards to drafting him a top-tier receiver. Additionally, the front office figures to be active in free agency. There is at least one big name that has wanted to play alongside Rodgers for years that is now a viable option.
As for Adams, now he gets to play alongside his old Fresno State teammate in Derek Carr. Beyond that, the Raiders are also giving him a new five-year, $141.25 million contract.
While Adams and Rodgers have consistently only said positive things about one another, it’s hard not to think back to how some of Rodgers’ other Packers teammates have hated him and wonder if that played some sort of role in all this.
If Green Bay was truly offering Adams the same amount of money, and he had the opportunity to play alongside one of the all-time greats at his position, why wouldn’t he take it? Surely there has to be something more at work behind the scenes here.
Now that’s how you celebrate a honeymoon. https://t.co/E9GHpGnCqE
— Game 7 (@game7__) March 17, 2022
And why would Rodgers be this okay with his top target departing?
Hopefully in the coming weeks and months there is a little more clarity provided on what precisely occurred here.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
