Davante Adams was on a Hall of Fame track with the Green Bay Packers, but with Aaron Rodgers getting older, he saw a better place in the Las Vegas Raiders.
Davante Adams spent his first eight NFL seasons making history with the Green Bay Packers. Then, suddenly, he was gone.
In March, a stunning trade sent Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders for 2022 first- and second-round selections. The move gave Las Vegas the best receiver in football and left Green Bay with a gaping hole in its offense still unfilled.
Yet for Adams, it was a move he welcomed. It was a trade he hoped for, wanted to reunite with college teammate and quarterback Derek Carr. However, it wasn’t just the presence of Carr that had Adams thinking about an exit stage left from Titletown.
On Thursday, Adams spoke to reporters and illuminated the public on his reasoning for getting out of Green Bay and going to Las Vegas, including conversations with Packers MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers, per NFL.com:
“We had talks just like what he said the other day. He mentioned we had talks about his future and what he thinks his duration in Green Bay or just football in general would look like, and that played into my decision, as well. Because where I am in my career — and this isn’t a shot at anybody, any other quarterbacks, in Green Bay, I love Jordan Love especially, he’s a great guy — I got aspirations of doing really, really big things and being remembered, and it just wasn’t really a point in my career that I was willing to sacrifice Aaron not being there after a year or two.
“So my decision was to be here, and he respected that, he understood that it has a lot to do with where I want to raise my kids, family, being closer to home.”
Frankly, it makes sense. Although Rodgers is now signed through the 2026 season, he’s essentially going year-to-year in terms of potentially retiring. Only 29 years old, Adams understands that if Rodgers walks away, his numbers are in great peril.
By going to the Raiders, Adams has the certainty of playing with Carr for years to come. And with a career resume of 8,121 yards, 73 touchdowns, five Pro Bowls and two First-Team All-Pro honors, a few more top-notch seasons might put Adams in Canton when his playing days are done.
For the Packers, losing Adams is a crippling blow to a team with Super Bowl aspirations. For the Raiders, it’s an incredibly addition to a franchise trying to win its first postseason game since 2002.
Ultimately, Adams saw an opportunity to make sure he’ll be in a good position for years, and he took it.
