Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will enter the 2022 NFL season without one of his favorite receivers.
Luckily for Rodgers, he is going from one Hall of Fame receiver in Davante Adams to another in Allen Lazard.
Rodgers made that comparison following Green Bay's practice session Wednesday. It was a playful jab at Adams, who left the Packers over the offseason to reunite with college teammate Derek Carr in Las Vegas.
Here's video of what Rodgers said, which drew chuckles from reporters in the locker room scurm:
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Of course, Rodgers — who was "surprised" Adams left Green Bay for Vegas — was mimicking the eyebrow-raising comparison Adams made last week when he said transitioning from Rodgers to Carr was like going from "Hall of Famer to Hall of Famer."
"I mean, anytime you change quarterbacks, from Hall of Famer to Hall of Famer, you go (Kenny) Stabler to Rich Gannon or whoever you go to, there's going to be a little bit of an adjustment," Adams said. "Both are great players and great to be around."
Not that Rodgers jabbed Adams at Lazard's expense. Indeed, Lazard last season set career highs with 40 receptions for 513 yards and eight receiving touchdowns. He stands to make a bigger jump in 2022 without Adams commanding the majority of passes from Rodgers.
Said Rodgers of Lazard: "It's going to be a transition. But he's capable of a lot. And the way things have gone, with the reps, the guys that we've had here, the targets that we've doled out, he hasn't had a ton of opportunities.
"But since his first day here, he's turned heads. So it's not surprising for him to go and have a really consistent day today."