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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams joined quarterback Aaron Rodgers in being absent from voluntary offseason workouts on Tuesday.
Voluntary is important to note here, especially given the fact that several players have heeded the NFLPA’s call to sit out early-offseason workouts due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, Adams’ absence is notable in that he’s taken part in these workouts each of his first seven years in the NFL. It also comes with Rodgers being away due to a very public rift with the Packers’ organization and a request to be traded.
Entering his contract year, the 28-year-old Adams is looking for an extension that will make him one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL. Right now, that doesn’t appear to be in the cards. Is it possible that Adams’ absence from workouts this week could be a harbinger of things to come? Yes. Below, I look at three reasons why.
Davante Adams contract and underpaid status
A second-round pick out of Fresno State back in 2014, Adams is playing under a four-year, $58 million extension he signed with Green Bay over three years ago. His $14.5 million annual salary ranks 14th among NFL wide receivers, directly ahead of new Jets wide receiver Corey Davis.
To say that Adams is underpaid would be an understatement. This past season saw him record 114 receptions for 1,374 yards and a league-best 18 touchdowns. Adams also caught a resounding 77.2% of his targets. Talk about some elite numbers.
There’s a chance that Adams deciding to join Rodgers in missing this week’s OTAs is a sign that he could potentially hold out during training camp for a more-lucrative deal.
Davante Adams now uncertain about his future with the Green Bay Packers
“Potentially. Potentially,” Adams recently when asked if Rodgers’ situation will impact his future. “That’s my guy. That’s the only guy I’ve had other than that 2017 season when he got hurt. That’s the only guy that I’ve played with. We’ve built up a special connection over the years that has put us both in really good positions in our career. Not that he needed me to come along for it, because he was already in that spot. We’ve established a lot together. It would change a lot, man. It doesn’t mean I’d be gone, but I’d definitely have to do some extra thinking if my guy wasn’t here.”
This comes at the same time that reports have suggested Rodgers told his teammates early last season that he wouldn’t be with Green Bay long-term. It also comes amid other reports concluding that Rodgers has reached out to other players about the possibility of teaming up with another team.
It makes perfect sense that Devante Adams would be upset about the Aaron Rodgers’ situation. The two have been playing catch at an elite rate for seven years. Add in Rodgers’ take about the culture within the Packers’ organization, and this is magnified even further.
What will be the end game with Davante Adams?
It’s all conjecture at this point. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur noted on Monday that he doesn’t believe Adams’ absence is directly related to the Rodgers drama.
At this point, I have a hard time believing that. When healthy, the star receiver has taken part in all Packers offseason activities since joining the team. He’s simply not away from the team for the heck of it.
This could lead to a further rift between a star Packers player and a suddenly drama-filled organization. Whether that includes a holdout, trade request or Adams departing in free agency following the 2021 NFL season, it’s something to keep an eye on.
