Davante Adams is still under contract with the New York Jets, so the Green Bay Packers can’t talk to him about a return—that would be tampering. But it’s also possible that Adams is considering all of his options, and that includes his agent understanding what his market would look like in the case he hits free agency.
The veteran receiver has already mentioned that he would be open to a return to the Packers. And for running back Josh Jacobs, who played two years with Adams on the Las Vegas Raiders, it’s just a matter of how much it would cost for Green Bay.
“Most definitely, most definitely. He is an amazing receiver, an amazing person. Obviously, I wanna see what it would cost us,” Jacobs told Kay Adams on the “Up and Adams Show. “But I do think that we have a spot for him, for sure.”
When the Packers traded Adams to the Raiders three years ago, he signed a five-year, $140 million deal. However, the contract actually averaged $22.5 million per year over the first three years, with two inflated $36.25 million years that are still left. It’s unlikely that the Jets would want to pay that, which gives Adams more control over his future. There are scenarios where he is released and gets free to sign anywhere, or maybe he could be traded and sign a revised deal.
On Wednesday, Jacobs said in multiple interviews that he thinks the Packers need a consolidated wide receiver one—which generated reactions from the current group.
Locker room impact
Davante probably wouldn’t be as dominant as a receiver as he was in the final years of his first stint with the Packers. But for Jacobs, Adams’ impact would go beyond that. In the locker room, he could be a big example for the younger guys.
“He’s a great leader. He practices hard,” Jacobs explained. “He does things that I tell people, I remember one year I may have only seen him drop one pass at practice the whole year. He’s one of the guys that will put the work in, gonna lead the younger guys the right way. He’s gonna give you nuggets that you can’t really coach. The way that he sees the game is different.”
Although Davante is 32, he has still been highly productive in the NFL. This past season, he played 14 games combining the Raiders and Jets, finishing the season with 85 receptions, 1,063 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns.
For the Packers, it’s a matter of what the Jets will decide, and how much money Adams ultimately wants to get.