Packers Still Planning To Franchise Davante Adams Before Working On Long-Term Deal

According to Ian Rapoport, the Packers still plan to franchise tag WR Davante Adams this offseason with the intention of working on a long-term deal soon after. 

The Packers have yet to open extension talks with Adams, who is in line to be a free agent in the coming months. Negotiations between the two sides broke off before the start of the season with them being at an impasse. 

Adams is reportedly seeking to become the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver but he and the Packers have disagreed on which player to use as the barometer. 

Prior reports have said that Adams points to the two-year, $54 million deal Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins signed with three years left on his deal, while the Packers think the three-year, $66 million extension the Falcons gave WR Julio Jones with two years left is a better template. 

The franchise tag for Adams would be just over $20 million in 2022. While the Packers are projected to be tight against the cap, it’s doable to create enough space to franchise Adams. 

The issue for the Packers is that the franchise tag is fully guaranteed and they would have to carry him at this cap figure until they reach an agreement on a long-term deal that would allow them to reduce his 2022 cap figure. 

Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers‘ future in Green Bay is still in question and likely to impact Adams’ willingness to sign long-term. The Packers are “cautiously optimistic” about Rodgers being back for the 2022 season. 

Adams, 29, is a former second-round pick out of Fresno State by the Packers in the 2014 NFL Draft. He was in the final year of a four-year, $3.933 million rookie contract when the Packers signed him to a four-year extension worth $58 million.

Adams stands to make a base salary of $12 million for the 2021 season and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2022. 

In 2021, Adams has appeared in 14 games for the Packers and caught 106 of 148 targets for 1,362 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns.

We have him included in our Top 100 – 2022 Free Agents list.