National Football League

Packers trade Davante Adams to Raiders in blockbuster deal

Updated Mar. 18, 2022 10:52 a.m. ET

A thrilling NFL offseason just keeps on giving.

A week filled with big signings and blockbuster trades — not to mention one especially momentous unretirement — continued Thursday, when news broke that the Green Bay Packers had traded All-Pro receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Raiders are sending two "prime" picks in the 2022 draft to Green Bay in return, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. One of those picks will be the Raiders' first-rounder.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Las Vegas will give Adams a new five-year, $141.25 million contract that will give him an average of $28.25 million per season. That will make him the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history, Rapoport added.

The deal will also reunite Adams with quarterback Derek Carr, whom he played with for two seasons at Fresno State. In their final year together in 2013, Adams had 131 catches for 1,719 yards and 24 TDs.

For the Packers and Adams, things came to a head quickly after the team officially signed Aaron Rodgers to a three-year contract worth $150 million earlier this week.

The Packers had placed the franchise tag on Adams last week, with the hope they could work out a long-term deal. But Adams made it known that he would not take the field under the franchise tag, which seemed to ratchet up the tension.

According to one report, the Packers were willing to give Adams a similar deal to what the Raiders are giving him, but he was ready to move on.

Adams, 29, has earned All-Pro honors each of the last two seasons and was a unanimous selection in 2021. He set Packers single-season records for catches (123) and yards receiving (1,553) while also scoring 11 touchdowns.

He’s the only player in NFL history to have at least 110 catches, 1,350 yards receiving and 11 touchdown receptions in three separate seasons. Adams has joined Marvin Harrison and Larry Fitzgerald as the only players to have 600 catches, 8,000 yards receiving and 70 touchdown receptions over their first eight seasons.

This was an aggressive move by the Raiders' new regime led by coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler, and the latest in an AFC West arms race as teams try to catch Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Denver has traded for quarterback Russell Wilson and the Chargers acquired edge rusher Khalil Mack.

Now the Raiders are trying to keep pace and build on a 10-win season that sent them to the playoffs for the second time in the past 19 seasons.

Las Vegas potentially has one of the league’s most dynamic offense with Carr having his best set of playmakers with Adams teaming with Pro Bowl slot receiver Hunter Renfrow, star tight end Darren Waller and running back Josh Jacobs.

The news thrilled NFL fans. Here is a sampling of reactions to the trade.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.