Davante Adams considered joining Rams’ NFC West rival

Perhaps the single-most impactful move the Los Angeles Rams will make this offseason was their signing of Davante Adams, who was released by the New York Jets. LA inked Adams to a two-year, $44M deal.

Apparently, according to Adams in a conversation with Michael Silver of The Athletic, the San Francisco 49ers were also interested in acquiring the veteran receiver. The 49ers were looking for a hometown discount for Adams, who grew up outside San Francisco in Palo Alto, California:

Once released, Adams assessed his options. Some teams that reached out to his agent — such as the San Francisco 49ers, whose training facility is a short drive from East Palo Alto — weren’t nearly as motivated as the Rams.

“I was entertaining the Niners,” Adams said, “but they were like, ‘We’re paying wholesale. We ain’t paying retail.’ I didn’t talk to them, but that’s what my agent told me — like five times, that quote. And I was like, ‘OK, well, I’m not a wholesale-type dude.’”

This will certainly add fuel to the fire on the rivalry between the Rams and 49ers. Puka Nacua ruffled feathers this offseason by asserting San Francisco’s contention window closes when they commit franchise QB money to Brock Purdy.

While the Rams seemingly paid the sticker price to bring Adams into the fold for 2025, they can effectively get out of his deal after next season with a $4M dead cap hit—unless the veteran shows he’s worth keeping around on a premium deal. Adams is adamant that he still has the same speed he entered the league with and can continue to play at a high level:

Asked whether he believes he’s in his prime, Adams replied, “Well, I think that’s a great question — and I think I can tell you that my prime has been since 2018, and I truly feel like I’m playing equal or better ball.

“I haven’t lost any speed — which, you know, I didn’t come into the league as a burner, so people weren’t looking to see a 4.2 (40-yard dash) turn into 4.5. I was high 4.4s coming in, and I’m running the same speeds now. Whether it’s the GPS, or if I could line up and run a 40 right now, I’d probably run a faster 40 than I ran when I was 21 years old. And obviously, I mean, the proof is in the pudding. I don’t need to tell you what I can still do or not.”

Adams and Nacua should make a formidable pairing in Los Angeles this upcoming season. With a young and up-and-coming defense, the Rams figure to once again be squarely in playoff contention and make a run at the Super Bowl.