Davante Adams is not your prototypical “diva” wide receiver, but he certainly is no stranger to working to get what he wants.
The Fresno State alum left money on the table when he asked to be traded to the Las Vegas Raiders from the Green Bay Packers in 2022, wanting to play for the team he grew up rooting for – quarterbacked by his college teammate, Derek Carr.
But fast forward three years, it seems like an unexpected reunion may be on the table for Adams and his former team. Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal believes that Adams is willing to come back to the franchise who drafted him.
A “source close to Adams said on Tuesday that the three-time first-team All-Pro receiver is also “open” to returning to the Packers if the opportunity presents itself”, according to Wilde.
“Not only did Adams post a photo recently on his Instagram story of his green-and-gold shoes, he also spoke at length about the Packers in recent interviews with FanDuel’s Kay Adams.
“It’s looking right now like, obviously, they might need some receiver help in one way or the other just based off of what they have available,” the six-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro said. “And maybe a veteran or something in there. I don’t know. We’ll see.””
Davante Adams’ Journey Could Land Him Back To Where He Started
After another 1st team All-Pro year that ended with the Raiders going 6-11, Carr was cut and Adams was left stranded on a team that played out the majority of the season with fourth round rookie, Aidan O’Connell.
Bridge QB Gardner Minshew was not enough to tempt Adams to stay with the franchise, and the former Packer was traded to the New York Jets for a third round pick mid-way through the 2024 season.
Now with former Packers teammate and 4 x MVP QB, Aaron Rodgers, set to depart from New York unceremoniously this March, many believe it is more than likely Adams will also seek a new home. And holding a $38 million cap hit for a player past his prime, it seems like the semi-rebuilding Jets will be more than willing to accommodate his wishes.
What Would An Adams – Packers Reunion Look Like?
The Jets save $30 million by cutting Adams, which at this point him feels like an almost foregone conclusion – particularly with Rodgers off the table.
Multiple Packers players have already publicly stated their desire to have “Tae” Adams re-join them in Green Bay, including both cornerback, Keisean Nixon, and franchise quarterback, Jordan Love.
This is not the first time that there has been a public affection between Love and Adams, with the latter trying to recruit the young QB to Las Vegas last offseason.
There is a feeling, both amongst the players and the fans, that the Packers need a bona fide #1 receiver to lead the passing offense, particularly given the up-in-the-air nature of Christian Watson’s gruesome late season knee injury last month.
The Packers have not had a 1000 yard receiver in the two years since Adams’ departure – with Jayden Reed coming closest both years with 793 and 857 yards respectively.
And, in this day and age, no team can expect to truly contend for the Lombardi Trophy without an elite pass-catcher; even Mahomes’ mediocre receiving corps had Travis Kelce return to elite form during their 2022 and 2023 Super Bowl-winning years.
A still-productive wideout like Adams could certainly add some needed juice to the Packers’ passing game, and perhaps it can help Green Bay finally get over seemingly continuous “1 receiver away” hump.
