Davante Adams is not your typical wide receiver. Even with all the talent he possesses, there aren’t many guys who could take a brutal hit like the one he did against the San Francisco 49ers and then return two plays later. In Adams’ case, well, he is simply different.
That’s exactly how Adams put it when he was asked how he was able to return to the game after what seemed like a knockout blow.
“How I’m able to get through it is I’m different,” Adams said after Sunday’s game.
Adams stayed on the ground for an extended period after absorbing a big hit from San Francisco safety Jimmy Ward. The team evaluated Adams for a concussion, but the receiver said he had trouble catching his breath more than anything.
The Green Bay Packers medical staff followed all necessary protocols and deemed Adams ready to return to the game. The injury occurred on 1st-and-10 but drew no sort of penalty. On 3rd-and-10, Adams was back on the field, and an Aaron Rodgers’ pass fell incomplete in his direction.
The Packers held the lead for the entire game until the 49ers’ final drive. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo led a 75-yard drive that ended in a 12-yard touchdown pass with only 37 seconds left on the clock.
Green Bay’s offense took the field with no timeouts but the best quarterback and receiver combo in the NFL at their disposal. Rodgers and Adams quickly connected on a 25-yard pass to get the ball to midfield. Adams would catch another pass that picked up 17 yards to set up Mason Crosby’s game-winning 51-yard field goal. Only minutes before, Adams was laying on the ground when it appeared his day might be over.
“He is the ultimate competitor,” head coach Matt LaFleur said of his star pass-catcher. “I think he’s the best receiver in the National Football League.”
Through three games, Adams leads the league in receptions and targets. While he is currently fourth in yards, Adams has an NFL-high six games where he has racked up at least 10 catches and 100 yards since the start of last season. There are five players tied with three, which is the second-highest total.
Adams is due for a new contract at the end of this season, and while he is set to turn 29 years of age in August, he is showing no signs of slowing down. Adams expects to be the highest-paid wide receiver in the game with his next contract. When it comes to Green Bay’s offense, his value knows no bounds. As long as he can continue to produce at the highest level, the Packers can’t walk away from someone of Adams’ talent who is different in all the right ways.
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