Colts get Davante Adams Lifeline

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams still in play for the Indianapolis Colts?

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams has handed the Indianapolis Colts and the rest of the NFL a lifeline by reportedly refusing to play 2022 under the franchise tag.

UPDATE 7:35 pm EST 3/17/22 - According to multiple Reports, it's the Las Vegas Raiders who grabbed the Davante Adams lifeline and are finalizing a blockbuster trade with the Green Bay Packers to make him the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL.

Sources: The #Raiders are in the final stages of trading for #Packers star WR Davante Adams, who receives a new contract that makes him the highest paid WR in the NFL. A blockbuster.

Las Vegas sends back a 1st round pick, potentially more picks and a player.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 17, 2022

The Packer put the franchise tag on Adams last week, getting an automatic one-year deal worth the average of the top-five players at his position... roughly $20 million.

From @GMFB: #Packers star WR Davante Adams has informed the team he won’t play on the franchise tag, and the sides remain far apart on a long-term deal, per sources. It’s all coming to a head. Something has to give. pic.twitter.com/Df0zpvhglM

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 14, 2022

$20 million to play a year of football sounds like a fair enough deal, but all terms are relative.

Adams just watched Christian Kirk, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals, sign a four-year deal worth up to $84 million with the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Kirk, 25, is coming off his best season as a pro, his fourth in the NFL, with 77 catches for 982 yards and five touchdowns.

Adams has averaged 1,328 yards and 12 touchdowns the last four season. Still just 29-years old, Adams should be productive well into a four-year deal of his own.

Davante Adams with the franchise tag looking at that Christian Kirk deal... pic.twitter.com/nuSoAuMM2g

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) March 14, 2022

The Colts have nearly double the available salary cap room of the next best team in the NFL according to Spotrac at $60 million. The Colts could sign Adams to a four-year $100 million deal and still have the second-most available cap room in the NFL behind the New York Jets.

Obviously one key to getting Adams would be to settle the quarterback position.

The Colts traded Carson Wentz to Washington, acquiring draft picks and cap room in the process, but they have watched the pool of available quarterbacks shrink rapidly. 

The latest rumors have the Colts linked with both Las Vegas Raiders quarterbacks Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota. 

If the Packers and Adams officially part ways, would a pairing with Marcus Mariota be enough to entice Adams to Indianapolis? The Colts would need to come up with a trade package big enough to partner with Green Bay, but Adams would have the final say on whether he played 2022 or not.

It would be seen as a one-year bridge while general manager swings big again in 2023, but that might not be enough to convince Adams.

However money talks... and the Colts have more money to spend than any team in the NFL.