Aaron Rodgers may have sent out the biggest smoke signal three months before the NFL midseason trade deadline. And right away, early indications are he purposely sliced his paycheck to $35,000,000 to make future room for an All-Pro he knows quite well: Davante Adams.
Was Aaron Rodgers Referring to Davante Adams?
Speaking with Peter King in his Football Morning in America column Monday, Rodgers got candid about his move to the New York Jets.
But one stirring element that piqued the interest of “Gang Green” and NFL fans? Why Rodgers decided to take a pay cut.
“Big names move at the trade deadline now. I wanted to make sure that if somebody valuable came available, we’d be able to get him. I’m very happy with the contract. I feel great about it,” Rodgers said.
MORE: “There will be reports coming out of Vegas that Davante Adams will want out”
While it’s a team player gesture Rodgers made, that kind of rhetoric additionally points to this: Rodgers’ team making a possible run at Adams, who has been the subject of trade rumors with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Not the First Time a Rodgers/Adams Reunion Rumbling Surfaced
Before Rodgers’ quote to King, radio personality Craig Carton of Fox Sports 1 made this guarantee on July 27 involving Adams.
“I guarantee you there will be reports coming out of Vegas that Davante Adams will want out,” Carton said. “And guess where he would want to go?”
“ I guarantee you there will be reports coming out of Vegas that Davante Adams will want out” – @craigcartonlive @FS1 https://t.co/1XXROCCJrU pic.twitter.com/lp1ABCdVfy
— J. Gray (@JGrayJets) July 27, 2023
The Jets were the rapid-fire choice on the show.
It’s important to note that Carton is a longtime New York radio personality and is known to be a die-hard Jets fan. Perhaps he’s heard plenty of voices around the Jets’ facility about the team trying to go after Adams and re-link him with the man who had an assist in turning him into a perennial Pro Bowler.
Such a move would additionally place Adams with another former Green Bay Packers teammate of his in Allen Lazard, who was in the WR room with him. The move would also pair Adams with last season’s 1,000-yard rookie Garrett Wilson.
But much like Rodgers, the Jets would likely have to get Adams at a workable price from his current $140,000,000 deal the Raiders gave him. Trying to lure him in involves a $14,740,000 cap hit and a $54,320,000 dead cap hit, according to Spotrac. Adams also doesn’t have a potential opt-out option from the Raiders until 2025.
Rodgers Included Other Reason Behind Cut in Pay
Rodgers told King that he believes accepting lesser money was “the right thing that made me feel best” to work with the Jets. He also believed this move shows where his level of commitment is with the franchise.
“I thought it was important they knew how committed I was. And in my conversations with Joe [general manager Joe Douglas], he has made it very clear the vision for the football team,” Rodgers said.
The 39-year-old then went further down memory lane in describing his $35,000,000 pay cut.
“You probably agree with this. This year, compared to like 2005, the amount of transactions that happen now with guys getting cut and the amount of trades — way more than before,” Rodgers said.
And those answers came before Rodgers’ “Big names move at the trade deadline now” line. Still pointing out that perhaps the Jets have one more bold move in their back burner.