Aaron Rodgers isn't the only Packers star who might soon be leaving Green Bay. The future of wide receiver Davante Adams is also up in the air and that's mostly because he's headed into the final year of his contract.
The Packers obviously would like to re-sign their star receiver, but that's not a given. Although Adams has said that he would like to stay in Green Bay, there are plenty of things that could end up changing his mind about his future with the team. For one, Adams has mentioned that the quarterback situation and the contract offer he eventually receives from the Packers will play a part in whether he sticks around.
One other thing the Packers might have to worry about with Adams is the fact that he seems very open to the idea of signing with one specific other team and that team is the Las Vegas Raiders. Adams and Derek Carr were on the same college team at Fresno State and the Packers receiver seems thrilled about a possible reunion.
As a matter of fact, during an interview with ABC 30 in Central California, Adams said that reuniting with Carr would be a "dream" (this conversation came just hours after he had said he didn't want to "dabble" in talks about a potential reunion).
"I love Derek to death," Adams said. "We've got a great friendship and we still communicate really, really consistently. He's one of my best friends. Obviously, it would be a dream to be able to play with him, but I'm a Packer now. Until that point when we make that decision, I guess we just got to, we'll see what happens."
That sounds like a guy who has no idea what he's going to do or what's going to happen. Basically, if Rodgers returns to Green Bay and the Packers give Adams a contract that makes him the highest-paid receiver in the NFL, then you can count on the receiver signing an extension with the only team he's ever played for. However, if one of those two things changes -- if Rodgers doesn't return or if the Packers aren't willing to give him the money he wants -- Adams could easily walk after the 2021 season (The Packers could try to franchise tag Adams after this year, but they currently have an ugly salary cap situation and it wouldn't be easy to make that work for 2022).
If he does leave, the Raiders will definitely be the team to watch and that's solely because of Carr. Adams explained that he was best friends with Carr at Fresno State and that they were always on the same page.
"We were really, really good friends, really tight," Adams said. "That kind of drove to we knew what each other were thinking. He'd make a check and I'd know two seconds before he even looked at me that this could potentially be coming just because we spent a lot time together off the field. On the field, he brought out the best in me. First, getting to college, he was the one who started the whole 'Tae' thing. People didn't even call me 'Tae' until I got to Fresno State. He got that going. I think as soon as I got there, we kind of hit it off and even though I red-shirted, he was throwing me balls and telling other people to back up. I'm not even playing the whole year and he's trying to get some reps in knowing what could potentially be coming in the future."
Carr clearly feels the same away about Adams because he made it clear earlier this week that he would do anything possible to recruit the Packers star to Las Vegas.
"I know that he's obviously the best receiver -- everyone said one of the best -- he's the best receiver in the NFL," Carr said. "I would always welcome to play with him again. I think it would unlock some things in both of us that people haven't seen yet. I'm always open to that and I will be recruiting very hard. When that time comes, it will be a full-court press."
During their time at Fresno, Carr and Adams were an explosive duo. In his first year with Carr, Adams caught 102 passes for 1,312 yards and 14 touchdowns. In his second year with the quarterback, Adams was even better, catching 131 passes for 1,719 yards with 24 touchdowns. He AVERAGED 116.5 receiving yards per game during his career with Carr as his quarterback.
Adams and Carr clearly had a great connection, which is probably why both players are so open to a reunion. The Packers are going to push hard to keep Adams, but if negotiations stall or Adams decides he wants to leave Green Bay because of the quarterback situation, then don't be surprised if he ends up in Sin City. Adams grew up a Raiders fan and the idea of joining one of his best friends while also getting the chance to play for a team he used to love might end up being too enticing of an offer to pass up.