Jeff Haynes/AP Images for PaniniNew York Jets star quarterback Aaron Rodgers recently opened up about his departure from the Green Bay Packers, and he's still not over how the team handled negotiations with star wideout Davante Adams.
Rodgers told The Athletic's Matt Schneidman that he believes the Packers' offer to Adams was far from what he deserved, which resulted in the receiver requesting to be traded and landing with the Las Vegas Raiders.
"They offered him less money than Christian Kirk [$18 million per year] and [Adams] is going, 'Are you serious right now? I'm the best receiver in the league, and you're gonna offer me less than Christian Kirk?'" Rodgers said. "With all due respect, he's not on Davante's level.
"I'm sure that the team will say that's just the business of negotiation—it's like, yeah, but you're also sending a message to that guy, and a lot of times it can stick with guys and make them a little sour on things. … That goes back to the first offer that they made, and I don't think [the Packers] had the foresight—obviously didn't have the foresight."
Schneidman noted that Adams said on an appearance on the I Am Athlete podcast that the initial offer he received from the Packers prior to the 2021 season was for less than $20 million annually.
Upon being acquired by the Raiders, Adams signed a new five-year contract worth $140 million, which made him the highest-paid receiver in the league at the time of his signing at $28 million per year. The 30-year-old made his sixth straight Pro Bowl after leading the NFL with 14 receiving touchdowns while also ranking third with 1,516 yards on 100 catches.
Adams excelling in Las Vegas came as no surprise after his fruitful partnership with Rodgers in Green Bay. The duo connected for 68 touchdowns, the most between a quarterback and receiver in Packers franchise history.
Rodgers struggled to find a groove without Adams on the outside during the 2022 season. He took a while to develop chemistry with Green Bay's new crop of young wideouts and threw 12 interceptions, the first time he's thrown 10 or more picks in a season since 2010.
Now, Rodgers will have his own opportunity to excel in a new environment, as his presence brings high expectations to a New York team that hasn't made the playoffs in 12 years.
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