After failing to mend even some of the fence shared with Aaron Rodgers, it appears the Packers' attempt to build a bridge to a future with his No. 1 receiver has also stalled.
The Packers and Davante Adams have broken off long-term contract extension talks, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per sources informed of the situation. The two sides have been negotiating a deal for months, but have reached a bad place, Rapoport added.
This is far from the first time two given parties were unable to reach an agreement on an extension before an existing deal expires, but this news is significant because of what preceded it. Rodgers hasn't been happy with Packers management for months now, and with his top teammate now displeased with the same group of front office executives, Adams' representation and the Packers have also stopped communicating.
With these two results in mind, it would seem the Packers might want to reconsider their negotiating tactics.
Adams' representation has been working behind the scenes to strike a deal, but proposals from the Packers have not acknowledged Adams as the highest-paid receiver in the NFL, Rapoport reported. As the league leader in touchdown receptions (18) and fifth-best receiver in terms of yards last season, Adams has a pretty strong case to be paid as such. At 28 years old, there's no better time than the present to cash in for Adams, and he has the statistics (and the game tape) to justify such a payday.
The current state of contract talks (or lack thereof) between Adams and the Packers only adds to the dark cloud that has been hanging over Lambeau Field since the spring. Adams can be expected to play in 2021 -- we can't say the same for Rodgers at this point -- but there's no avoiding that big green (dark Packers green, or the lighter shade of United States currency, your choice) elephant in the room. It's never ideal to have your top two offensive players -- and really, the two best players on your entire roster -- disgruntled, and especially not at the same time.
The road to a season led by Jordan Love won't get any smoother with this information out there, and we can be sure to hear Adams asked about his contract situation relentlessly from here on out. The financial tension appears as if it's here to stay in Green Bay in 2021.
