Packers: Three questions facing Davante Adams in 2018

2. Can he stay healthy?

Outside of Aaron Rodgers, David Bakhtiari is the only player who may be as irreplaceable to the Packers’ offense as Davante Adams is.

When Jordy Nelson tore his ACL in 2015, the offense sputtered. If Adams were to miss significant time this season, the results may be similar.

Adams dealt with an ankle injury for most of the 2015 season, and the results weren’t pretty. He averaged a paltry 9.7 yards per reception and struggled to create separation for long stretches of time.

More concerning, though, is the three concussions that Adams has suffered in the past two seasons. The two he suffered last year against Chicago and Carolina were the results of particularly ugly helmet-to-helmet hits.

The four-year, $58 million contract extension Adams signed suggests that the Packers are not worried about his long-term health. And it’s impossible to know what the implications of possible future concussions would be.

But medical experts know that the short-term and long-term consequences of concussions are likely to grow more severe as you sustain more of them. Additional concussions may cause Adams and/or the Packers’ medical staff to reassess whether continuing his career is the best decision.

Whether it’s a concussion or something else, any injury to Adams could cripple the Packers’ entire offense. With Nelson gone, the top outside receivers are Geronimo Allison and a bevy of unproven young players. Needless to say, it will be paramount for Adams to be available for the entire 2018 season.