Adams and Rodgers

[Wi. Mike now in Florida]

I know football is a business and sometimes a strange one, but did you ever wonder why Arron Rodgers and Dante Adams and
other players leave GB, especially when both had so much football to give with both playing so well with other teams this year??

Sometimes I feel if players only were more dedicated to Green Bay and the Packers like players back in the 60's and 70's, we still
could be lighting the score board up with these two.

Your Thoughts

 

[tynimiller]

I know football is a business and sometimes a strange one, but did you ever wonder why Arron Rodgers and Dante Adams and
other players leave GB, especially when both had so much football to give with both playing so well with other teams this year??

Sometimes I feel if players only were more dedicated to Green Bay and the Packers like players back in the 60's and 70's, we still
could be lighting the score board up with these two.

Your Thoughts

Dude we drafted Rodgers replacement and he went batshit crazy and was a bigger headache than anyone on the team...it was more than time.

Adams we offered same amount of money but got pissy about things...and has even hinted at regrets about it. He was able to get his family much closer to home though and that was a massive factor.

 

[Magooch]

When Rodgers left he got something like 75m guaranteed and like 38m/yr from the Jets. At his age and considering we had already added Love I don't think there was any way we were going to pay him that amount. Would he have stayed in GB for less? Maybe, maybe not. I think overall we got to the point where a change of scenery was going to be the best (and only) way forward for all parties. I can't speak for Rodgers or those inside the organization but I get the sense that while it was not the most harmonious thing, there doesn't seem to be a ton of bad blood either. I think if Rodgers stayed the mood would've really soured and it would've turned into a very messy divorce.

Adams I think was similar too in that the Raiders immediately went and made him the highest paid WR in football at the time. We would've had to give him the same contract AND they gave us a 1st and 2nd for him. I love Davante but to keep him you're basically "paying" a 1st and 2nd round pick (in that you would be receiving them otherwise) AND 140m+ to him. And in addition to getting to move closer to home, I think IIRC a large part of it was wanting to play with his best friend Carr too.

And I mean just think. Davante cap number has been something like 12-15m for the last few years (short Jets stint notwithstanding). This year our SEVEN wideouts carry a combined total hit of like...15m or thereabouts. Adding Rodgers' contract into the mix for the last few seasons, plus Davante on top of that...it radically reshapes our whole team. Rodgers had a cap number of ~9m and ~17m in two years with NYJ, but also dead money of 21m/35m, this year it is about 14-15m cap number with Pittsburgh. Similarly Davante had a cap number of 12/15m with the Raiders, but dead money of 14/16m, then just 3m with the Jets but 8m in dead money, and now 12m this year and 28m next year (with a ~16m out I think) with the Rams. All that to say, you would have a LOT of money tied up in a 40yr+ QB and a 32yr WR.

For better or worse, idk, but our team would look SIGNIFICANTLY different if we kept either one, let alone both

 

[milani]

I know football is a business and sometimes a strange one, but did you ever wonder why Arron Rodgers and Dante Adams and
other players leave GB, especially when both had so much football to give with both playing so well with other teams this year??

Sometimes I feel if players only were more dedicated to Green Bay and the Packers like players back in the 60's and 70's, we still
could be lighting the score board up with these two.

Your Thoughts

Sentimentality and posterity are really not part of it any longer if they ever were. Players want to make money and they want to win. There are no Tommy Lasordas who want to live and die in Dodger blue. None that I know of. Maybe John Elway. Even players who are born or played HS or college in the state of WI do not put aside their future just to be a Packer.

I recall in baseball over 50 years ago the great Ron Santo was at the end of his career but thought he had a season or so left. His contract was approval only trade. He did not want to leave Chicago because his life and family and business interests had be come entrenched there the last 15 years. The Cubs wanted to go in a different direction. So Ron said, " If you want to trade me, trade me to the White Sox on the South Side. " They did and Ron finished his career in the same city.

 

[weeds]

They're not from Green Bay .. or Wisconsin. They've dreamed their entire lives of making it big in the NFL ... the fan adoration and the financial rewards that come with that. Dreams of BEING SOMEONE ... and, playing the game they love or...at least loved since boyhood. They're living out their dream and making a boatload of money. Dedication to Green Bay isn't even on their radar by and large.

 

[gopkrs]

Is dedication important? Are you implying it's important? What is it anyway? Most have a soft spot for the place they played and memories. Is there something else you want?

 

[Wi. Mike now in Florida]

They're living out their dream and making a boatload of money.

Here's the trouble right there.

 

[El Guapo]

Sometimes I feel if players only were more dedicated to Green Bay and the Packers like players back in the 60's and 70's, we still
could be lighting the score board up with these two.

Your Thoughts

You want players to be more like they were in the '60s and '70s?? You mean back when they had little say about where they played or if they made enough money to live on? You want them to be thankful that someone could find them a place to sleep in the back of a business because nobody in Green Bay would allow a black person to rent?

Man - WAKE UP!!! The football world has changed for the better. Players actually have some control over their professional lives now. Of course, that's only after they have played their first 4-5 years with a team that has exclusive "rights" to their services.

Players today are only as dedicated to the teams as the teams are to them. Players dedicate their lives to the teams for their first few years and hope that they don't get permanently hurt or flat out cut by the team. Teams act in their best interest and so do the players. I may not like that but it at least puts everyone on roughly equal footing.

Both sides felt that it was time for Rodgers to go. Adams wanted to leave too once his pal, Aaron, was gone.

...and don't be mistaken, players are still dedicated to the game. They are just not powerless anymore to control their professional lives.

 

[SudsMcBucky]

Both sides felt that it was time for Rodgers to go. Adams wanted to leave too once his pal, Aaron, was gone.

Except that Adams left BEFORE Rodgers.

 

[tynimiller]

Except that Adams left BEFORE Rodgers.

I still remember how made I made Capt predicting an Adams trade and he lost his mind at me then when I brought it up once announced…man those were some crazy forum days

 

[OldSchool101]

Ok first of all two ideas come to mind. The first is more directly related to your question. I feel like the loyalty from the FO is average to below average. Both parties are to blame because players sometimes leave over trivial $$. However it’s often initiated by seeing their friends put out to pasture a year or two too early. There’s fear that the relationship won’t be respected from the Employer. For good reason too.

One thing I’ve learned in nearly 40 years in business is you can achieve results by creating financial incentives for the results you desire. This goes for Employees of all industries. I would like to see a more player/team/family friendly, amicable approach to retaining incumbents. Such as the team can reduce the individual player salary CAP by 10% for each year of fully guaranteed up to 30%. Thus a Davante 3X$90mil fully guaranteed pays him $30m annual and exceeds outside offers, but applies just a total of $63M Cap. A smaller scale 3X$15Mil fully guaranteed applies just $10.5mil (equivalent of $3.5M annual against the cap). You’d instantly see more 2+ and 3+ year deals overlapping 3 year deals. Tons of players would remain intact for 3-6 years + (Rookie deal)

So you can use the same $$ the player is chasing to give them a smidge better contract to the player, but a smidge better advantage to the resigning team. Many players have families that uproot every other year. This is a terrible example to set for our spouses and children. That the NFL isn’t interested in their continuity. We’ve somehow put greed at the forefront at the expense of player and their families as they are literally forced to chase $$ and at any expense. The effect is continually penalizing families. Let’s make it a benefit to retain kids in their respective schools a little better. We’re constantly putting our homes on market and juggling our family in one city and our player commuting. The NFL is too good for this behavior imo.

No it’s not perfect. However It would 100% show a commitment by the league to promote teams retaining their own in borderline contract negotiations. This players moving twice a season or 5 cities in 5 years a little too much imo. Settle them down unless there’s just overwhelming differences in demand on said players or differences that are past reconciling.

 

[El Guapo]

Except that Adams left BEFORE Rodgers.

You're right. I should put less vodka in my morning koolaid.

 

[Half Empty]

Find it really difficult to commiserate with people who play a game for a living and received 7,8, sometimes 9 figure contracts that pay off whether they produce or not.

 

[El Guapo]

Find it really difficult to commiserate with people who play a game for a living and received 7,8, sometimes 9 figure contracts that pay off whether they produce or not.

If you look at it from the point of view that they are really rewarded in arrears for their success, it is more palatable to accept.

A guy like Rasheed Walker was paid near the rookie minimum for his first two seasons, even though he started 15 games in his second year. In 2024 he still only got his base salary of $900k even though he started 17 games - but then added another $900k through the NFL's performance-based pay program. Due to his continued starts, his rookie contract (and Zach Tom's) bumped up to a base of $3.4M this season. The range of salaries for starting left tackles ranges from $16M-$25M right now.

So when he gets his contract from the Packers or someone else next year, it is essentially for past performance with the anticipation of continued future performance.