Davante Adams is keeping busy this offseason. Between traveling and rounds of golf (he suspects he is one of the top five golfers on the Packers' roster), the four-time Pro Bowl receiver continues to prepare for what will be his eighth NFL season. Adams is hoping to build off of a 2020 campaign that saw him earn All-Pro honors while leading the NFL with 18 touchdown receptions.
Adams has formed an extremely successful partnership with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Last season, the duo connected 115 times for 1,374 yards, as Adams caught a career-high 77.2% of the passes thrown his way. And despite playing through an ankle injury, Adams led the NFL with an average of 98.1 receiving yards per game.
Adams was asked about the current rumors regarding Rodgers, whose future with the Packers appears to be in jeopardy (pun intended). On Monday, Adams told The Herd with Colin Cowherd that Rodgers leaving could "potentially" impact his future in Green Bay. Adams is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
"Obviously, I'd love to continue to play with him," Adams recently told CBS Sports. "We've had a lot of success together and we've been able to accomplish a lot as a team. But mainly, I'm focused on controlling what I can control and that's doing everything I can to be ready for the season."
The wideout elaborated in an appearance on the Peter King Podcast this week: "It's been tough, man," he said. "I've obviously (spoken) to (Rodgers) a little bit. Can't really share too much of what we talked about, but ... part of the business is you've got to keep people happy. And it's tough because you have so much time invested in one place and you've done so much for one place you just hope to see that respect reciprocated, I guess you could say. And when it doesn't work out exactly how you want, you have issues like this.
"But we're just being positive and I'm just sticking to my training, doing what I have to do to put myself in a position to be ready, whoever my quarterback is come (the) season," Adams told King. "Hoping and praying that it's still Aaron, just so we can continue what we've had going this whole time. But, yeah, just going to continue working to see how it plays out."
Adams, whose favorite receivers growing up included Randy Moss and Terrell Owens, is otherwise singularly focused on winning a Super Bowl after coming up short in four previous NFC title games. Individually, he has set his sights on NFL immortality.
"I want to be in the Hall of Fame," Adams said. "I want to go down as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, receiver of my era"
Adams has joined Optimum Nutrition's "Building Better Lives" initiative, which will offer free online advice and coaching while also supporting permanent fitness resources for communities in need, including Adams' hometown of East Palo Alto, Calif. The initiative hits home for Adams, who recently delivered Jordan brand cleats and shoes to his high school.
"This next generation has advantages I didn't have growing up," Adams said. "I'm not a dinosaur by any means (laughs), but the resources today's young athletes have can really help them advance and take the necessary steps forward in their careers. Utilizing things like Optimum Nutrition's website with expert coaching and advice can help them with recovery and other aspects of training that we just didn't have when I was in high school."
Adams, 28, relishes the opportunity to serve as inspiration for the next generation of athletes. While he is currently one of the NFL's premier playmakers, his road to stardom was anything but easy.
"I like to tell young athletes to make sure you're taking care of business in all aspects of life," said Adams, who added that he took nine courses during his final semester in high school. "Being able to overcome obstacles and to demand the most out of yourself is a quality that everyone needs to be successful."