Aaron Rodgers wasn't the only Packers star to take the mic and deliver a message Wednesday.
Green Bay wideout Davante Adams addressed the media for the first team since reports emerged that he and the club had broken off long-term contract extension negotiations, signaling that the two were at odds over the All-Pro receiver's future with the franchise.
Adams, who is entering a contract year and is slated to make around $16.8 million this season, wants to be the highest-paid receiver in the league, a title currently held by DeAndre Hopkins, whose per-year average on his latest deal is $27.5 million.
“I’m not gonna get too far into details about the numbers and all of that stuff, but I like to say that I’ve outperformed my last contract or my current contract," Adams told reporters Wednesday, minutes after Rodgers' epic half-hour session. "I’m going to keep elevating. At the end of the day, however it pans out, it pans out that way and I’m going to think long and hard about how everything goes. At this point, like I said, I’m here for my teammates and I’m really excited to be back. I told you guys before -- I’m a man of my word and I’m ready to play.”
Adams was present and accounted for at Green Bay's first training camp practice Wednesday, just like his star QB. It doesn't look like the Packers will have to worry about any contract-related absences coming from Adams going forward. The wideout told reporters that he doesn't anticipate restarting negotiations with the team during the season, citing his desire to keep his mind focused on the field.
"That's how I've had success my whole life. That's the recipe for me, just locking in on the moment," Adams explained. "But I start thinking about getting paid and all this other stuff, and my mind is not right. It makes it really tough to focus on what you've got to do. This is a tough league to perform in consistently if you don't have your mind right, especially at the position that I play. You've got to focused, man. Like I said, that's been my recipe in the past and I'm gonna stick to that. We'll play football, and then we'll see. I can't really speak on that because I don't know how I'll feel later but at this point, it's just about playing ball."
Adams added later: "I'm not a baby, so I'm not gonna not show up and I'm not complaining about it. At the end of the day, I'm not poor right now. I'll be OK to get through and go and try to win a Super Bowl again. That's my main focus now. The offseason was working out and trying to come to an agreement, but we weren't able to do that, so now it's kind of time to lock in."
The Packers front office has a lot on its plate at the moment. Not only were Brian Gutekunst and Co. very recently in contract talks with Adams, 28, but the Pack are now working on a revised deal for Rodgers that will see him return for at least the 2021 season and swung a trade for Randall Cobb, a former teammate of Adams' and Rodgers'. Adams said he was ecstatic about the move for Cobb, joking, "I'm just waiting on Jordy (Nelson) now and we'll be complete."
How this Packers roster looks this year might be very different than how it looks next year, especially at the quarterback position, where Rodgers could be out and Jordan Love could seize the reins under center. Whether or not Rodgers is on the roster, Adams' stance on his contract remains the same: He wants to be the top-paid pass-catcher in pro football.
"It's not about being a baby, but what other profession do you take less than what you have earned? That’s not how it goes," Adams said. "I've earned the right to be paid the highest in the league."
Training camp is finally here! Be sure to check out NFL Network's extensive live coverage, including Inside Training Camp every day and highlighted by Training Camp: Back Together Saturday Fueled by Gatorade on July 31.