The Green Bay Packers were gutted after losing to the San Francisco 49ers last weekend during the Divisional Round of the 2022 NFL playoffs. The Packers’ season ended on a last-second field goal after special-teams issues doomed their winning effort. Now, questions surround Aaron Rodgers and his future as well as the future of Davante Adams as the Packers head into the offseason.
Aaron Rodgers and his future with the Packers
The Packers’ locker room was filled with anger as well as disappointment after the 49ers game. Anger, as players felt there was enough talent on the depth chart to take the team to the Super Bowl and the necessary adjustments were not made against the Niners.
So, where does the team go from here? To the surprise of no one, it all starts and ends with quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
It’s tough to get a feel as to what Rodgers wants to do at this point. I can tell you wherever he ends up, Rodgers has told people in confidence he wants receivers Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling by his side. When asked about his future, Rodgers left the door open on all scenarios.
“Everything is definitely on the table,” Rodgers said Tuesday on The Pat McAfee Show. “There are things that seem more plausible or more likely, which I won’t necessarily get into. The most important thing is, first, the commitment to playing and to go into the offseason and training and all that’s stuff. And then after that, it’s conversations with my agent and (Packers general manager) Brian (Gutekunst) and then looking at the desires of the team and kind of the mindset moving forward, and then make a decision from there.”
Can the Packers find a way to keep Davante Adams?
Keeping Adams is going to be tough for the Packers, who, right now, are projected to be about $40 million over the salary cap at the start of the league’s new year.
Those close to the situation tell me Adams wants to be the highest-paid receiver in the NFL and will be looking for a contract near $30 million per year. The Packers, at this point, look as though they may go no higher than $24 to $25 million a year.
In addition to Adams, the Packers have some other big-name free agents that will also need contracts to remain with the team. De’Vondre Campbell, Robert Tonyan, and Allen Lazard are a few players that will need to have their situations evaluated throughout the offseason.
This means the only way for the Packers to keep Adams is using the franchise tag, which will cost them around $22 million. There have been no contract talks between the Packers and Adams. In fact, I’m told the two sides have not talked since the 2021 season kicked off.