All's well that ends well, and the Green Bay Packers eventually found their missing piece at wide receiver by drafting Matthew Golden. However, head coach Matt LaFleur revealed a reunion with Davante Adams was on the table.
Appearing on Up & Adams, the Packers' head coach said they had "conversations" about the possibility of bringing back their former All-Pro wide receiver.
Instead, in Los Angeles, Adams connects with LaFleur's friend and former colleague, Sean McVay, and his brother, Mike LaFleur.
"I'm sure Sean and my brother would've been really upset if Davante would've come back to us," said LaFleur. "Any time you have a player of that caliber, there are definitely conversations that go into it. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't."
It's unclear how serious these "conversations" were, but it's notable nonetheless.
Unless the Packers had significant interest in a reunion, it sounds unlikely they would've been able to get a deal over the line. Adams revealed McVay went above and beyond with an "aggressive" pitch to sign him, and joining the Rams also means he can return home to the West Coast.
Packers had Davante Adams conversations but instead decided to break their first-round drought with Matthew Golden
Adams is still a phenomenal wide receiver, even entering his age-33 season, but the Packers took a more affordable and long-term approach.
Golden is a riskier option. He hasn't proved himself at the NFL level year in and year out like Adams. But he has game-changing potential and could end the Packers' search for a true WR1, and as a first-round pick, Green Bay gets four seasons of his rookie contract and a fifth-year option.
Signing Adams may have meant no Golden.
Which would Packers fans prefer? While reuniting with Adams would've solved a major problem at wide receiver and made fans' dreams come true, Golden may have a greater long-term impact. That's the hope.
We'll never know how close the Packers came to bringing Adams home, but LaFleur's comments prove it was at least a consideration. Did they get it right?