Davante Adams talks Rodgers, Extension and Packers WRs

On Monday, Packers receiver Davante Adams had a phone interview with Fox News where he covered a variety of topics, including the contractual situations of he and his starting quarterback, while also mentioning his absence in OTAs earlier this offseason. If you’re wondering why he did an interview with Fox News, which typically doesn’t operate in the team sports space, he was being sponsored by Optimum Nutrition as a pitchman, a company that also partners with Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson.

On Aaron Rodgers

To no one’s surprise, Adams once again took a Laissez-Faire approach to Aaron Rodgers’ absence. “Hopefully, Aaron will be [at training camp] as well and if he’s not, we’re gonna get going,” said Adams, claiming that the locker room hasn’t been swayed by Rodgers’ holdout and that players’ support of the quarterback has not changed. “Everybody’s behind him.”

Throughout the offseason, this has been the line of answers expected by Packers players. If one is asked about Rodgers, their perspective is always something close to “that’s Aaron’s decision.” Adams’ comments are relevant as FanSided’s Matt Lombardo sourced an anonymous former general manager last week calling Rodgers “selfish” while stating “teammates don’t like him.”

On contract extension

Adams, going into the last season of his four-year extension signed in 2017, said that Rodgers’ status will “play into [an extension],” but also noted, “there’s been talks, just really just talks, but we haven’t really done anything or talked about anything that’s worth mentioning.” If the Packers are planning on re-signing Adams, it will likely come this offseason or preseason.

In the past, players like defensive backs Micah Hyde and Casey Hayward never received contract offers from the Packers once they hit free agency, with the re-signings of the likes of Bryan Bulaga and Randall Cobb, players who hit unrestricted free agency and returned to Green Bay, being rare. Currently, Spotrac projects that Adams’ next contract will be worth around $25 million per year, nearly double the veteran contract he signed in 2017.

On Packers receivers

In early June, Adams made it clear he did not “sway or tell anyone to do anything” in regards to the absence of the Packers veteran receivers in Green Bay’s OTAs. In fact, he seemed ticked off that “guys who could use the development weren’t there.” In the interview with Fox News, he revealed that his limitation in minicamp was in coordination with the coaching staff which wanted to give younger wide receivers reps. Unfortunately, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard, Equanimeous St. Brown and Devin Funchess did not show in OTAs, leading to them having to make up time in minicamp.