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There’s been some whispers that Green Bay Packers wide receiver and impending free agent Davante Adams could leave following the 2021 season.
One of the best receivers in the game, Adams has previously talked about how the Aaron Rodgers situation could impact contract talks with the organization. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past couple months, you know full well that Rodgers has requested a trade and could potentially hold out in 2021.
As for the 28-year-old Adams, he’s set to play the final season of the four-year, $58 million extension the four-time Pro Bowl signed with the Packers back in December of 2017. The Fresno State product is vastly underpaid in the grand scheme of things.
He’s coming off a career-best season that saw him record 115 receptions for 1,374 yards and a league-leading 18 touchdowns. He also caught a resounding 77% of the passes thrown in his direction. The Packers are going to have to pay him big time or face the real possibility of losing the star receiver in free agency following the 2021 season.
Now, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Davante Adams is expected to receive a huge contract extension from the Packers at some point soon.
“Davante Adams and the Packers are expected to try to come to an agreement on a massive contract extension. He will likely be the highest-paid receiver in the league at some point. Most evaluators I talk to believe he is the very best at that position right now,” Fowler reported (h/t Bleacher Report). “So, he’s a priority for the Packers, whether Aaron Rodgers is the quarterback or Jordan Love. The problem is Rodgers’ contract has been an albatross for that team, it’s hindered them from doing some other contracts and things they want to do with the team-building standpoint. So, they’ve got to shake that out first. They’re willing to give Rodgers probably whatever he wants right now.”
How a Davante Adams contract extension might look
As Fowler noted, those around the NFL believe that his next deal will make Adams the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL. Right now, that title is owned by DeAndre Hopkins of the Arizona Cardinals at $27.25 million. In terms of total value, Amari Cooper of the Dallas Cowboys boasts the high-water mark at $100 million. Recently-acquired Tennessee Titans star Julio Jones boasts the most fully-guaranteed cash among NFL wide receivers at $64 million.
While it’s unrealistic to believe Davante Adams will get north of $27 million, he should surpass Cooper in terms of total value and Jones when it comes to fully-guaranteed money. Something to the tune of $125 million over five years with $70 million guaranteed might make sense.
However, the Rodgers’ situation complicates things for Green Bay right now. The team pushed back against restructuring his contract earlier in the offseason, which would have committed the Packers to Rodgers financially for beyond the 2021 season. It’s one of the issues the reigning NFL MVP has had with his organization.
As of right now, Rodgers is slated to count $37.2 million against the cap in 2021. While that wouldn’t have an immediate impact on a potential Davante Adams contract extension, the Rodgers’ situation remains a priority for embattled Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst. Whether this situation clears up ahead of the start of training camp remains to be seen.