Getty Image / Chris Unger
After Davante Adams was traded from the Green Bay Packers to the las Vegas Raiders last offseason, there were some questions about what the move would do to his production.
He was teaming up with his college quarterback, but was also getting a pretty big downgrade from the Hall of Famer he played with in Green Bay.
It turned out that the move didn’t change much for him.
Adams still had a monster season in 2022, making 100 catches for 1516 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Today he told The Ringer’s Mirin Fader that he believes his performance last season proved that he doesn’t need Aaron Rodgers.
“Chase yourself… That means you’re never gonna stop until you’re done." I profiled Davante Adams @ringer. A story about time, change, patience, and resilience: https://t.co/BZRxioKelz pic.twitter.com/lfVE4VSGog
— Mirin Fader (@MirinFader) May 16, 2023
“Now people can’t say that,” Adams said. “That’ll never be the narrative ever again. . . . It proved that I am me. A quarterback doesn’t make me. . . . I make me. And I can do it consistently at this level.
That’s why [last] season meant a lot. Even if I went and played like dog s*** next year, they can’t say it. Because now I’ve already proved it throughout the course of a season, played every game, and put together a résumé that says I do not need. . . .
You can erase all the numbers. You can just write in: He didn’t need Aaron Rodgers.”
Not only did Adams prove he doesn’t need Aaron Rodgers to produce, he proved that he doesn’t even need particularly strong quarterback play to be able to produce at an elite level.
Even when Jarrett Stidham became the Raiders’ QB for the last two games of the year, Adams still posted a combined 12 catches for 226 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Now he’ll head into the 2023 season with Jimmy Garoppolo at QB and there should be no doubt about what to expect from Davante Adams next season.