For the first eight years of his career, Davante Adams didn’t know anything other than catching passes from Aaron Rodgers. After about 2.5 years apart, the two reunited following the New York Jets’ trade for the future Hall of Fame wide receiver. Just how close are the two former and current teammates?
Did Aaron Rodgers Recruit Davante Adams to the Jets?
It’s impossible to separate wide receiver from quarterback. We’ve seen many WRs throughout history produce significantly better or worse based on who is throwing them the ball.
For two years in Oakland, Randy Moss averaged 53.7 receiving yards per game and had a 46.6% catch rate. Then, in 2007, he went to New England and was the best wide receiver in the NFL.
In 2010 and 2011, Demaryius Thomas barely caught half his targets and averaged fewer than 50 receiving yards per game. Then, some guy named Peyton Manning arrived in 2012, and Thomas ascended to one of the best WRs in the league.
Quarterback play matters for wide receivers — and it mattered for Adams.
During his time in Green Bay, Adams was universally viewed as a top-five wide receiver. Ever since his 2016 breakout, he was at the top of his game, with almost exclusively Rodgers throwing him the ball.
From 2017-2021, Adams made five consecutive Pro Bowl appearances. He was first-team All-Pro in 2020 and 2021. In 2020, Adams led the NFL in touchdown receptions and receiving yards per game.
Can't keep Davante down for long… 38-yard TD!!! #GoPackGo @tae15adams
📺: #CHIvsGB on NBC
📱: https://t.co/ptqAMuLpIh pic.twitter.com/1Z1iyTn6QI— NFL (@NFL) December 13, 2021
Playing in an era that featured prime Julio Jones and Antonio Brown, Adams was never quite the single-best wide receiver in the NFL, but he was always in the conversation.
A big part of that was Rodgers. It certainly made Adams’ departure from Green Bay in 2021 all the more difficult.
One thing we can conclude about Adams is he is a loyal person. He may have left Rodgers, but he did so because he got to play with his former college quarterback, Derek Carr.
Adams’ first year in Las Vegas went reasonably well. He wasn’t quite as productive, as Carr is nowhere near as good as Rodgers, but he nevertheless made the Pro Bowl that year, was first-team All-Pro, and led the league in touchdown receptions.
The 17th game helped, but 100 receptions for 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns is impressive in any context. Not that anyone believed Adams was a product of Rodgers, but the 2022 season cemented the former’s status as one of the all-time greats, proving he can do it without a fellow future Hall of Fame quarterback.
Things took a turn a year later, though. The Raiders moved on from Carr, saddling Adams with the worst QB play of his career. The combination of Jimmy Garoppolo and Aidan O’Connell wasn’t getting it done.
Adams still caught 103 passes, but he hit a career low in yards per reception (11.1), resulting in just 1,144 yards and eight touchdowns.
The most frustrating part for Adams, though, was the losing.
Even though Adams never reached a Super Bowl in Green Bay, when playing with Rodgers, the Packers were never bad. They were always competitive, making the playoffs in six of Adams’ eight seasons.
Following his two years in Vegas, Adams hoped reuniting with Rodgers would give him one last chance to win, as the 32-year-old’s career nears its conclusion. It’s no surprise then that Adams was very emotional when speaking about joining Rodgers on the Jets.
Rodgers may not have directly recruited Adams to New York, but he certainly played a massive role in the trade. The players’ connection is why Adams wanted to play for the Jets, and the veteran QB’s enormous importance to the team is why the front office was willing to make it happen.
“Obviously, I’m really excited,” Rodgers said. “It’s on us now. We’re going all in.”
Rodgers is 100% correct. Despite their poor record, the Jets are all in on this season. They have too much talent to continue losing football games. Given the previous success of Rodgers and Adams playing together, it’s no surprise the two superstars believe they can make a run with their new team.
Can Rodgers and Adams Rekindle Their Packers Magic?
It certainly hasn’t been the start Adams hoped for when he joined the Jets two weeks ago. Adams has caught just seven of his 15 targets for a total of 84 yards in two games with the Jets. They’ve lost both games since his arrival.
The season isn’t over. But it’s fair to say it’s on life support. With six losses already, the Jets have very little margin for error. Given the path the AFC is headed, the Jets can likely only afford one more loss to have a realistic shot at a postseason berth. That makes every game from here on out even more important.
Rodgers and Adams have years of rapport that doesn’t just go away. However, they haven’t quite been on the same page. That’s not entirely unexpected, though. Despite their time together, the 2.5 years apart does matter. Perhaps they needed a couple of weeks to get back in sync.
The Jets will need to start stacking wins. Can they do it? Their first test comes Thursday night against a very depleted Houston Texans offense. The Jets will benefit from the Texans being down Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs. It’s a game they have to win.
Weeks 10 and 11 also present winnable contests against the Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts. Their next three games are not only all possible wins, but they come against teams with defenses that rank in the bottom half against the pass. The time is now for Rodgers and Adams to remind everyone of who they used to be, and perhaps still are.
If the Jets can head into their bye week at 5-6, we could be singing a whole different tune about the outlook of this team. But it all starts with Rodgers and Adams figuring it out together.