Chicago Bears: Davante Adams news means he could be fair game in 2022

Over the course of the past few months, Chicago Bears fans have thoroughly enjoyed their offseason.

The pinnacle was when Ryan Pace moved up to draft Justin Fields in the 2021 NFL Draft. However, equally as thrilling has been watching what’s happening with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.

Friday, the football world received more news in regards to Green Bay and a second contract situation.

All Pro wide receiver Davante Adams is on the last year of his deal, but his side and the Packers have broken off contract negotiations after recently attempting to make him the league’s highest-paid wideout.

The Chicago Bears have a wide receiver conundrum of their own, so could Davante Adams potentially solve their problem?

Allen Robinson and the Bears did not reach a long-term deal by the July 15 deadline, therefore he will play the 2021 season on the franchise tag making roughly $18 million. Next year, though, he will likely be playing in a different uniform.

While the Packers could always opt to franchise tag Adams like the Bears did with Robinson, there is reason to believe Adams may not want to play in Green Bay much longer. The situation with Rodgers gets uglier and uglier, with the longtime Green Bay quarterback not wanting to play for the Packers any longer.

Without Rodgers, why would Adams want to continue playing in Green Bay? There is a world where he either demands a trade after the Packers franchise tag him, or he is simply a free agent in 2022.

The Bears will have some financial decisions to make next year. Linebacker Roquan Smith is in line for an extension, and the recent deal signed by Fred Warner of the San Francisco 49ers should be a measuring stick for the money Smith will make.

There are also some potential cap-saving moves Chicago can make. The first and most obvious is cutting ties with Robert Quinn, whose contract now looks like one of the worst ever handed out in Chicago — regardless of whatever statistics that claimed he was still effective in 2020.

Next spring, the Bears can cut Quinn and save roughly $7 million against the cap.

Akiem Hicks and Jimmy Graham are both coming off the books as well. Both are counting a combined $22 million in 2021.

Then, there’s the $18 million coming off for Robinson. When you consider all of those players freeing up money for the Bears, the two big moves they could make in 2022 are: extending Smith and finding a way to pry Davante Adams from the Packers.

It’s a very big “if,” but if Adams becomes a free agent, do not discount the fact that players love to compete against their former teams. The Packers may have a near future without Rodgers, and Adams could soon be joining him on a bus out of town. What a world that would be if he crossed state lines and signed in Chicago.