Davante Adams has been one of the NFL's best wide receivers for more than a decade while playing for various teams. Does his latest stellar play for the Los Angeles Rams further put him on the fast track to the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
The answer is a yes, despite him not being the No. 1 option on his team for the first time. Adams has far exceeded expectations as a second-round pick in the 2014 draft and continues to produce with yet a different QB for three consecutive seasons.
Adams, at 32, is playing like he still has multiple strong years left. Here's looking back at his career timeline, from eight seasons with his original team to four games with his latest one:
MORE NFL WEEK 5:
Davante Adams career timeline
Green Bay Packers (2014-2021)
The Packers selected Adams in the second round (No. 53 overall) out of Fresno State. He was the ninth wide receiver off the board, following Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans, Odell Beckham Jr., Brandin Cooks, Kelvin Benjamin, Marqise Lee, Jordan Matthews, and Paul Richardson.
Evans is the only other Hall of Fame-worthy wideout in that group. Adams went 17 picks after his college QB, Derek Carr, was taken by Adams the future NFL team, the Raiders.
Throwing it back: How Packers knew they had something special in Adams
Davante Adams' stats with Packers
Games: 116 | Receptions: 669 | Yards: 8,121 | TDs: 73 | Yards per catch: 12.1
Adams broke out in his third season with 997 yards and 12 TDs. As Aaron Rodgers' go-to guy, he had five double-digit scoring seasons and hit more than 1,300 yards three times. He led the league with 18 TDs in 2020. He also went to five consecutive Pro Bowls as a Packer and was named first-team All-Pro twice.
Las Vegas Raiders (2022-2024)
With Adams and the Packers at a contract impasse during 2022 free agency, he was traded to the Raiders in exchange for first- and second-round draft picks that year. Those were turned in the end into two shaky current Packers, middle linebacker Quay Walker and injury-riddled wide receiver Christian Watson.
After the deal, Adams agreed on a new five-year, $141.25 million contract, making him the highest-paid NFL wide receiver at the time for reuniting with Carr.
Davante Adams' stats with Raiders
Games: 37 | Receptions: 221 | Yards: 2,869 | TDs: 23 | Yards per catch: 13.0
Adams blew up to Packers level with 100 catches for 1,516 yards and a league-high 14 TDs in his first season with Carr as a pro. But despite the continued high production into his 30s, Adams didn't like the Raiders' losing and dysfunctional ways with offensive-minded coach Josh McDaniels. He didn't quite smash as much in the next season-plus, which also saw the team move on from Carr, a big initial factor in him being OK with a trade to the Raiders.
New York Jets (2024)
The Raiders traded Adams to the Jets for a conditional third-round pick last October after only three games. In reality, they got nothing back in return except the Jets taking on the remainder of Adams' big contract. The Raiders had to forfeit the pick for players using a banned masked agent in an attempt to conceal the use of performance-enhancing drugs. The deal reunited Adams with Rodgers.
Davante Adams' stats with Jets
Games: 11 | Receptions: 67 | Yards: 854 | TDs: 7 | Yards per catch: 12.7
Adams had the connection with Rodgers that Rodgers could never get with Garrett Wilson. Through playing with them and three games with the Jets, he ended up posting 85 catches for 1,063 yards and 8 TDs.
Los Angeles Rams (2025-present)
With Rodgers not returning to the Jets and a new coaching regime about to start with Aaron Glenn, the Jets did some house-cleaning, releasing Adams. That's despite his flashes of excellence in a little more than half a season with Rodgers. The Jets cut Adams on March 4. The Rams signed him to a new two-year, $46 million to replace the released Cooper Kupp as the new No. 2 for the new No. 1 Puka Nacua.
Davante Adams' stats with Rams
Games: 4 | Receptions: 17 | Yards: 269 | TDs: 3 | Yards per catch: 15.8
Adams has been the strong possession scorer and occasional field-stretcher, using his savvy to burn more favorable coverage with opponents needing to worry about Nacua everywhere on the field. He's on pace for 77 catches, 1,143 yards and 12 TDs. That says he hasn't lost much ahead of turning 33 in December.
MORE: How Matthew Stafford's age compares to rest of NFL
Is Davante Adams a Hall of Fame lock?
Adams went into Week 5 vs. the 49ers No. 30 all-time in receiving yards with 12,113. On his Rams pace for the season, he would get to around 13,000 yards, putting him near the top 20 all-time.
A dozen from the top 20 are in the Hall of Fame. At some point, Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Smith, Reggie Wayne, Julio Jones, Torry Holt and DeAndre Hopkins should make it 18 in Canton. Jason Witten and Evans, ranked No. 21 and No. 22 at the moment, also are surefire Hall of Famers.
Adams is already in the top 20 with his 974 receptions. At his pace, Adams is looking at finishing the season between No. 10 and No. 12 all-time. Everyone in the top 10, with the possible exception of Anquan Boldin, is either in the Hall of Fame or will be.
Touchdowns, however, are Adams' most impressive stat. It's appropriate that he goes into Week 5 tied with draftmate Evans with 106 scoring receptions. Everyone in the top 9 ahead of them is in the Hall of Fame or will be (Fitzgerald again).
Adams is a Hall of Famer by every classic and modern metric. The only matter at hand is how high he can finish on those Triple Crown receiving lists before he decides to retire.