Packers WR Davante Adams won't play on franchise tag

The Packers have Aaron Rodgers back, but things are still up in the air with their other star player. Packers wide receiver Davante Adams has informed team brass that he will not play on his franchise tag (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).

While Rodgers scored a new four-year, $200M deal to become the highest paid player in league history, Adams was cuffed to a one-year, $20.5M franchise tag. That’s a 20% bump from last year’s tag of $16.8M, but still far short of the guaranteed dollars he could have on a large, multi-year extension. The Packers have until July 15 to hammer out such an arrangement with Adams. If they don’t, they’ll have him under contract, but Adams could also go the Le’Veon Bell route — hold out and see what shakes in the fall.

Last time they talked, Adams pushed for a megadeal to top DeAndre Hopkins‘ $27M/year contract. It’s a steep asking price, but the two-time All-Pro wide receiver has done his best to justify it. Last year, Adams ranked second in the league in catches (123), third in receiving yards (1,553), and fifth in receiving touchdowns (11).

The Packers may have to carve out some additional cap room to accommodate a new deal for Adams, though they could also work some magic to push much of the obligation to 2023 and beyond. Potential cap casualties include edge rusher Za’Darius Smith ($15.3M in savings), outside linebacker Preston Smith ($12.5M in savings), and Randall Cobb ($6.9M in savings).