My main concern is that DeAndre Hopkins contract of $27M per year for 2 years. That was a crazy contract the Cardinals gave him (and because they have a QB on a rookie contract they could afford it), but unfortunately set the bar -- I think -- too high for the Packers to re-sign Adams.

Now, it's no secret that Adams wants to stay with Rodgers and Rodgers wants to stay with Adams. It's a symbiotic relationship and they feed off each other's greatness.

The problem is, I don't see any indication that either one would be willing to take a pay cut. As Corey mentioned, Rodgers would have to stay and take a cheaper deal. When has he ever done that?

So let's say for a minute the Packers want to bring both of them back...the question becomes, who should be cut or traded to alleviate some of the cap pressures?

Z'Darius Smith comes to mind. He'll be 30 and coming off a back injury and in the final year of his deal. He has a $28M cap hit in 2022 and a $12.3M dead money hit. There is no way he's going to play under that contract for the Packers....especially if they get a full season of watching Rashan Gary play -- who's far cheaper right now, but will need to get paid at some point himself.

The reality is, this team is similar to the Saints (from the past few years when they had Brees) -- where we've pushed all our chips to the table and kicked the can down the road on the salary cap. I like how Gutekunst is all-in, but the only way to get our salary cap position healthy again is to trade Rodgers and sell high after this season. If he's traded before June 1, the Packers would save $19.2M. If he's traded after June 1, they save $27M. That's hard to argue with.

That might also mean letting Adams walk and get paid a mega deal elsewhere....and get a 2nd rd comp pick for the money he'll command.

At a certain point, the music stops and the party's over. For now, I'm going to sit back and enjoy Adams' wearing green and gold, but I wouldn't count on the Packers giving a 3rd contract to a guy who might not have Rodgers throwing to him next season.

Are we not able to tag him for 1-2 years? If he would rather play on the tag then so be it.

This is certainly a challenge. It would be less of one if you were keeping AR. If AR was staying- I don’t believe he is- I would let Adam’s walk. AR can make magic happen with other WRs. However, if they are moving on…I believe it would be best to keep Adam’s and provide Love and company a solid WR unit so he can be most effective when given his opportunity. I think Adam’s has 3 amazing years left and then will start to drop off. I give him 25-26 a year with structure pushing him to the cap expansive years.

I think it is foolhardy to think that Rodgers is in GB, next season. I also think that if the Packers wanted to sign Davante, they would have done it before training camp ended, this summer. It would not surprise me to see Rodgers get traded to some other team, for next season, and Davante following him to that new team. This is all on Gute and Ball, who will have to manipulate a tight cap, in order to even think of re-signing either of these guys. I see big changes, coming, to next season's roster, just due to the cap issues the Packers are facing. Welcome to the Jordan Love era.

Aaron Rodgers is gone after 2021. It would be difficult for any other scenario, due to the cap hole the Packers are in in 2022. Likewise, Davante Adams will also be gone because the Packers just cannot afford around $24m pa for him. They might possibly tag and trade Adams, but they haven't tagged any player for many years.

In many ways the covid crisis, the impact it had on a cap that shrank when it was planned to expand, along with the awkward position the Packers were in with some truly elite players wanting truly elite money, all combined to create this perfect storm. To deal with it, the Packers had to push a ton of money into next year, which is why they are in such an awkward position in 2022.

This makes for a very different team in 2022. While the Packers might lose Z.Smith/Rodgers/Cobb/Adams, they might keep (for example) Preston Smith. Jaire Alexander, Elgton Jenkins, Kenny Clark and (at least for a while) Aaron Jones. Jordan Love is the new QB for years (if he works out) or as a transition to another QB (if he doesn't). It's all scary and new and a big unknown after the relative certainty/security of decades with Favre/Rodgers.

I don't know what the Packers will be like for the next few years beyond this year, maybe they dip down to be an average or worse team for a while, maybe they stay at a very competitive level, it could go either way. No matter how you think it all plays out, it is interesting times ahead and rather different to how things are now.

For myself, I'm going to enjoy what I believe is the swansong of Rodgers/Adams in Green Bay in 2021 and just wait and see what unfolds after that.

For those that think everything is going to be horrible, I will add that the Packers could see some very good extra draft picks coming their way from the trade of Rodgers (and possibly Adams if tagged), so there is at least a chance that some of their losses can be recouped with good draft picks.

Second contracts are good; third contracts are bad.
That seems the general rule with wide receivers and running backs.
With the third contract, at about age 30, the player usually wants a ton of money just as his skills are beginning to decline.
Davante's one of the very best at his position now, maybe for another season or two, but probably not beyond.
I'd like to keep Davante until he retires, but the player has to want to stay with the Packers enough to take a realistic salary for the good of the other guys on the team.
If that player wants to move on for what he considers a better deal, all the best to him.

The Packers have given Rodgers the option to ask for a trade at the end of this season. To me that means if the Packers resign Adams Rodgers will most likely decide to stay for 2022. If the Packers can't work out a deal for Adams Rodgers will probably ask to be traded.

Free agency period is in early March so if the Packers don't make a deal by then Adams will go to the highest bidder in FA. Rodgers will probably ask to be traded at that point which the Packers should get done prior to the draft in April.

In a scenario where the Packers do resign Adams the question now becomes do they keep Rodgers for 2022 at his current contract or do they extend him beyond 2022? It is possible that an extension could reduce Rodgers cap hit for '22 and '23 and enable the Packers to create some cap space. TGR is in a much better position to discuss those possibilities than I am.

In any case I think the probability of retaining Adams and Rodgers is very low given our overall cap situation. Keeping Rodgers and Adams would mean that we're going to go all in again in 2022. But how can we be all in if we need to cut numerous current players to keep Rodgers and Adams? They can't win an SB by themselves.
I don't know how this will play out but Gute and Ball, maybe Murphy also, got us into this mess, so they need to get us out of it. For now, Beat the Bears and GPG!
Thanks, Since '61

As it stands today, the Packers are $28M in the hole for the '22 cap, about the same amount as what Adams will expect annually.

No way it happens.

Have a good season, Davante, and then best of success with whatever team can afford to pay you.

Seems Rodgers, Bakhtiari, the Smiths and Clark have taken all the cookies.

Get ready for competing with the vikings for the basement for years to come....FIRE GOOFYNUTZ NOW!!!!

If you want to keep Adams, you will have to pay big and pay to keep Rodgers. If you want to keep Rodgers, you will have to pay big and pay to keep Adams. These two players will be going hand in hand with the Packers. There is no reason for either of them to sign alone and not have the other signed. Better get used to this. IF they don't sign with the Packers, they may go their separate ways. But for them to stay in Green Bay, they will have to be signed together.

In about two years the cap will go up. And it, probably, will go up a lot. Next year we are 20 some million in the hole. So, if that’s the case, then someone has to go and key players will have to have much of their salary cap hits due two-three years from now. To me that means letting older players go and extend key younger ones. While I am not as worried about Adams age because his skills are not all based on speed, I do think that he can be replaced by a committee of younger cheaper players. That cap savings could be used for other players. The team has a ton of other players coming up for new contracts.

Doesn't really matter what the Packers want. It depends a lot on what Rodgers and Adams want. Rodgers and the team have already prepared the way for Rodgers exit. Adams could then be signed IF this is about the money. And when isn't it about the money? With Gary, Alexander and Jenkins all getting ready for their first real NFL contract, the team is going to need a lot of cap space to bring back their young, developing players. And those guys have earned a bigger paycheck. So, expect a different team next year, but not drastically different. The OL might change a bit, with Turner likely gone, unless he can't get more money elsewhere. But, the Packers have shown that they can seemingly always call on the "next man up", and so far, it's worked just fine.

If I try and put myself in Adams place I must keep in mind, he has an agent who wants max commission and is pinging in his ear: hold out for mo money or seek a trade for mo money. The later my be he see's Rodgers departing and he two may want to move on to another QB rather then stick with Love.
My choice would be to bolt. Adios suckers, I'm moving on. No hometown discount here.
Maybe I'm wrong but I beleive you cant franchise tag someone and low ball them at the same time. I think your required to pay the person the max they are worth per value or you lose the person to those that can?

I don't see Rodgers redoing a deal that could be, in part, on trusting the FO to do what Rodgers would want with the money saved in regard to personnel, and I don't see the FO agreeing to pay $75 million to two players to have another go at what has been a failure 8 times if no SB appearance or win comes to fruition this season, or even if it does.

What Rodgers and Adams are doing this season is setting up the scenario for both to go elsewhere, for big money for Adams, and the Rodgers input they know GB can't afford or is willing to allow, even if able, to a team that will and would become top contenders day one of their signings with the same team.

As so many often say, sit back and enjoy the last of whatever comes or doesn't with Rodgers and Adams on this team.

I have no problem with this season try. Let's see if Packers will be able to win all.

Regarding 2022 and further, I'm for cleaning the roster and start from beginning. Packers have good foundation in Kenny, Jaire, AJ, Kylen, Rashan, Savage, Eric, Malik, Big Bob, Alen, MVS etc... Add to this group Campbell, Preston, Smith (ILB) and very good group of young OL. This is the foundatin on which you can build new team capable to win North if you'll add 3 excellent draft pick and few capable FA.

Despite Jordan Love showed lot of promise I doubt any can predict his level (good or bad) until he will play games for the record. I believe that he will be at least very good, but I will not bet on that.

As some informed people said, reconstruction will last less if you start it earlier than later...

No, no, no. Embrace the future and let go of the past.

The reality is the Packers have no choice. They have been on this path since 2018. Gute and Ball have done a fine job in squeezing an ever shrinking Cap over the past three years. And Gute's front office has hit on a very high rate of draft choices and signed free agents. Proving he is one of the best, if not the best GM in the league. Too many elite players, not enough Cap space and not enough money period. Enjoy Rodgers and Adams and let's cheer on this year's team. Next year... is next year.

I got to believe that Gute has a plan with his brain trust that has several scenarios. Relax. It’s going to be very entertaining. I bet that our best guesses will only turn out half right.

The cap numbers simply do not allow GB to keep both 12 and 17. The future of this team is the young, ascending players - Alexander, Jenkins, Clark, Gary, Savage, etc. They have no choice but to pay the Salary Cap piper. So the obvious strategy must be to milk as many draft choices as they can from whatever sucker they can fleece for #12. Give Love a couple years to develop with a solid core around him. Rodgers went 6-10 his first year as a.starter, so don expect any miracles right away, but it should be.fun to have a bunch of good young talent.

im on board with theres noway ar is back. the cap issue alone makes it imprudent. id keep da instead anyway........is there really ateam that could even mange their cap to give ar and da max contracts? plus be in the afc? then does anyone think ar will give a discount, he already stated he deserves mvp money.