Packers Star Davante Adams Just Fired a Shot at His Own Team
When healthy, Davante Adams is one of the NFL’s top receivers. However, it has not been an easy start to the 2020 NFL season for the 27-year-old. A hamstring injury has led the Green Bay Packers to take a cautious approach with Aaron Rodgers’ top weapon.
Yet, according to Adams, he feels ready to go. But in firing a shot at his own team, did the Pro Bowler bring up a valid point? Or did Green Bay make the right call in holding Adams out against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football?
Davante Adams has been sidelined with a hamstring injury
Since joining the Packers as a second-round pick in 2014, Davante Adams has developed into an elite receiver. A three-time Pro Bowl selection, the 6-foot-1, 215-pounder has produced touchdowns at a prolific rate. From 2016-2018, Adams racked up 35 TD receptions as Rodgers’ go-to receiver. Last season, though, injuries limited the big-bodied wideout to just 12 games.
Unfortunately for Adams, health issues have once again caused him to miss time. After racking up 14 catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns in Green Bay’s season-opening win in Minnesota, the veteran wideout suffered a hamstring injury against Detroit.
As a result, the Packers held Adams out of their Week 3 matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Despite playing without his best receiver, Rodgers still led his team to a 37-30 win.
That victory came at a cost, though. Starting receiver Allen Lazard had to go on injured reserve due to a core muscle injury. Naturally, that made Adams’ availability even more critical heading into Monday night.
The Packers star fires a shot at his own team
For Davante Adams, the 2020 season certainly hasn’t gone as expected. While the Packers managed to beat the Saints without him in the lineup, they’re obviously a much better team with No. 17 on the field. Yet, even though Adams feels healthy, he won’t play Monday night against the Falcons. That led the Packers star to fire a shot at his own team.
In a tweet that has since been deleted, Adams wrote, “Sorry fans and friends I wont be on the field tonight. I’ve done everything I need to do and proved Im ready but I guess I don’t know my body as well as others. Good luck out there my boys.”
Reading between the lines, it looks like Adams disagrees with the medical staff’s decision to make him inactive against Atlanta. While the veteran receiver deserves credit for wanting to compete, he should thank his team for taking the cautious approach with his hamstring injury.
After all, missing an additional regular-season game seems like a small price to pay in order to get back to full strength. Plus, the Packers need their star receiver healthy for the playoffs much more than for a Week 4 matchup against an 0-3 Falcons team.
Green Bay deserves credit for playing the long game with Adams
Davante Adams may not like having to sit out another game, but the Packers definitely made the right call in this situation. Sure, Aaron Rodgers would love to have his No. 1 target back on the field. But hamstring injuries can be finicky, and if Adams returns too soon and suffers a setback, that could lead to a much longer stint on the sidelines.
Through three weeks, the Packers look like one of the top teams in the NFC. However, the season is still young. Green Bay does not need to rush its star receiver back just to beat a winless Atlanta team. In fact, if the Packers still don’t trust Adams’ hamstring next week, they should exercise the same approach and inactivate him again.
He may not like that decision, but this situation is all about the long game. Rodgers needs his most reliable receiver to be at full strength down the stretch and into the playoffs. It makes zero sense to put that at risk just to get back on the field in October.
Davante Adams most certainly makes the Packers a better team whenever he suits up. But for now, he needs to trust the team’s medical staff and do everything possible to ensure he doesn’t suffer a setback.
For now, he will simply have to cheer on his teammates as they take on the Falcons on Monday night.
All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
