5 big Green Bay Packers mistakes that doomed the team in 2022
2. Trading Davante Adams
This one still makes zero sense.
Just days -- days -- after Aaron Rodgers signed a huge extension to stay in Green Bay, the Packers traded away their star wide receiver Davante Adams.
The moment the Packers handed Rodgers a new deal, they were committed to winning now. Presumably, that means going all-in. How on earth is trading away Davante Adams a sign of an all-in team?
Adams wanted to go. The Packers were in a tough position. Understandable. But they would never have even gotten to that position had Green Bay paid Adams the summer before. This started in 2021.
It’s not just Aaron Rodgers: The #Packers and star WR Davante Adams have broken off long-term extension talks. There are no current plans to resume them. The two sides have been negotiating for months, but they are now in a bad place, sources say. First the QB, now the No. 1 WR.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 23, 2021
The outcome? Entirely predictable.
Adams continued to dominate with the Las Vegas Raiders, catching 100 passes for 1,516 yards and a league-high 14 touchdowns, earning first-team All-Pro honors for the third consecutive season.
Green Bay's passing offense fell apart, dropping from No. 8 in 2021 to No. 17.
In 2020, the Packers averaged a league-high 31.8 points per game. In 2021, it was 26.5. Without Adams, it fell to 21.8 in 2022.
Imagine this sales pitch: We are going to pay our star quarterback and go all-in to win a Super Bowl. But we are also going to trade away our All-Pro wide receiver. It made no sense at the time, and sadly, the concern was proven to be correct.