Packers’ Aaron Rodgers ‘aware’ of Davante Adams trade before it happened

Aaron Rodgers cannot be thrilled that his star receiver Davante Adams was shipped to Las Vegas on Thursday, but reports indicate the news did not catch him by total surprise.

NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero reports that Rodgers was “was aware of trade talks surrounding Davante Adams in recent days.”

“While Aaron Rodgers was negotiating his contract, he knew Davante Adams would never play for the Packers again,” Ian Rapoport added. “The situation was too far gone. Something had to give. And when Adams informed GB he wasn’t playing on the tag, talks got fired up. Now, Adams will be on the Raiders.”

Rodgers has not always concurred with media reports and what reporters say about him, so we’ll have to see what his first-person reaction will be to this news.

Adams, arguably the best receiver in the NFL, scored 29 touchdowns and had nearly 3,000 receiving yards the past two regular seasons. Like Jordy Nelson before him, it felt like Rodgers and Adams were on a strong wavelength. They played at an elite level together for eight years.

Adams agreed to a blockbuster five-year contract worth $141.25 million, according to multiple reports, though it is unclear how much is guaranteed.

It remains to be seen what, if anything, the Packers will do to fill this enormous hole. Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry and JuJu Smith-Schuster are all free agents. And if the last couple weeks in the wild NFL have taught us anything, a blockbuster trade also could be an option.