DeAndre Hopkins’ Deal Creates Issues for Packers & Davante Adams

I’m sure you’ve heard the news by now; according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Green Bay Packers and star wideout Davante Adams have “broken off” extension talks.

The two sides had been negotiating for months, but according to Rapoport, the offers from Green Bay would not have made Adams the highest-paid receiver in the game. And we can thank DeAndre Hopkins for that.

Hopkins was under contract with Arizona for three more seasons, and was the ninth highest-paid receiver in the NFL at that time, but the Cardinals would sign Hopkins to a massive two-year extension that would reset the wide receiver market.

According to Spotrac, Those two years added on to Hopkins’ deal were worth $54.5 million and came with $42.5 million of that guaranteed. His average annual value (AAV) of $27.25 million is over $5 million more than Julio Jones, who is the second-highest-paid receiver by AAV. And that is where the issue lies.

This deal completely changed the wide receiver market. Had the contract been more in line with that of Jones’ deal, then that would certainly make negotiations between Adams and the Packers easier. But with Adams likely wanting more than Hopkins’ $27.25 million per year, it’s creating issues.

Adams has absolutely earned the right to be the league’s highest-paid pass-catcher, earning first-team All-Pro honors in 2020, with nearly 1,400 receiving yards, 18 touchdowns, and a release off the line of scrimmage that makes him almost unguardable.

Now, this of course isn’t the only reason that the two parties can’t come to terms. Perhaps Adams’ age and injury history are factors, and we know that the Green Bay Packers have limited cap space, both in 2021 and 2022. But the fact that Hopkins’ deal was so monstrous is what is likely causing the biggest hurdle.

As Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap notes, the Green Bay Packers were in a similar situation with David Bakhtiari last season, and they did make him the highest-paid tackle. Laremy Tunsil with Houston reset the offensive tackle market by a considerable margin, similarly to what Hopkins did at receiver, but the team still paid Bakhtiari accordingly. Adams is most likely looking for a similar treatment—and understandably so.

Although talks are reportedly off for the time being, it doesn’t mean that a deal still can’t get done. Adams is under contract for the 2021 season, after all, and as we’ve seen in the past, Green Bay almost always signs their high-end homegrown free agents—in fact, they prioritize it. But if you’re wondering what could be holding things up or what’s causing the problem, the Arizona Cardinals and DeAndre Hopkins are a big reason why.