NFL: 58 million!

The Green Bay Packers got rid of their most important contract situation before the end of the regular season: On Friday, the Packers reached a new contract with Wide Receiver Davante Adams.

According to NFL network insider Ian Rapoport, this is a new four-year contract that will bring Adams up to 58 million dollars. The signature bonus amounts to 18 million dollars, and the first two years he collects 32 million dollars. The Packers have confirmed the general agreement.

Adams was the big bright spot in a passing-game hit by the injury of Aaron Rodgers in a largely hopeless season: The 25-year-old also produced with Brett Hundley and ended the season with 885 yards and ten touchdowns in 14 games. Even before Rodgers was injured, Adams had caught the number 1 receiver from Green Bay ahead of Jordy Nelson.

The contract for Adams is completely understandable from a team point of view, but at the same time the wide-receiver situation in Green Bay is becoming the focus of attention: Both Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson would go into their final contract year in 2018, with almost identical cap hit (Nelson: $12.5 million; Cobb: $12.75 million). While Cobb was still performing well at times from the slot, Nelson seemed to be completely lost without Rodgers – it is quite possible that the 32-year-old’s stay in Green Bay would only be accompanied by a significant pay cut.

Adams’ new deal, with an average annual salary of $14.5 million, makes him the NFL’s fourth highest paid wide receiver in this category, behind Antonio Brown (17 million), DeAndre Hopkins (16.2 million), and A. J. Green (15 million).