When Davante Adams made the decision to sign with the Los Angeles Rams, he did so on a promise. A promise that the Rams would do everything to compete for a championship and a promise that the Rams should be the final stop in Adams' illustrious career. They may not be holding up that promise after one year.
Adams did everything right and then some in 2025. He single-handedly fixed the Rams' multi-year red zone problems, his lessons and teachings took Puka Nacua to new heights, while Konata Mumpfield worked his way from seventh-round pick to starter as a rookie. He led the entire NFL in receiving touchdowns despite missing three games and was a star in the postseason.
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On top of that, Adams constantly told the media that the Rams were a first-class organization, that they were exactly what he was looking for, and that he wants to end his career in Los Angeles. He was even checking on former teammates, letting them know about how the Rams do things.
For Sean McVay, he couldn't have been happier.
“His body of work and then just getting to know him," stated McVay on why he recruited Adams. "You hear about him. The body of work, like I've talked to you guys about, I'm just a fan of this game. [I had a vision] of what he could do. I had some familiarity with what a special human he was because [Offensive Coordinator] Matt LaFleur and I are so close and he worked with him in those special years that they had together in Green Bay. It's the person, the player, the production, and the vision that we had for what he could do. He’s been awesome. He's been everything that we'd hoped for and that much more.
"I think the thing that's been cool about it where you really get a chance to learn is he's had a lot of really cool things that he's brought to life and added value to our football team and then there have also been some challenging moments where nobody wants to be out there more than him. That's frustrating to have that hamstring injury, but watching how he's handled that has given me some insight into what a special human being he is and the mental toughness and the fortitude and resilience that he has. Those are some of the reasons.”
McVay said that in January 2026.
After the Rams' loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game, McVay said this about Adams on February 2.
“Yeah, I was talking to him right after," stated McVay. "I have spoken with him. I think he's hurting because…that was one of the harder ones for me. I love that team so much, but I'll never forget and it's an easy motivating factor when you see your guy with their helmet on in the locker room afterwards. You just know how much it means to him.
"You just wanted to do everything in your power to help him be able to advance and be playing this week. That's not exclusive to him, but there’s a lot of love I have for that person and you could just feel how heavy it was. You always want to be there for guys. I spoke with him after the game.”
McVay was then asked if he believed Adams would be back next season.
“Oh yeah, absolutely," added McVay. "I have no reason to believe otherwise unless you know something I don't."
Then, on March 2, McVay said the Rams expected him to be better in Year 2. As it turns out, there was something that we didn't know. According to ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio, the Rams attempted to trade for receiver A.J. Brown and were looking to deal Adams away to make that happen. That was on March 15. McVay then confirmed the Rams did attempt to trade Adams away during the NFL owners' meetings.
"If we felt like it was best for our team, we would have done that," stated McVay. "But we didn’t think it was best for our team, so, excited to be able to move forward with him."
That's already one point, but things took a massive turn on Thursday night when the Rams drafted Ty Simpson. The selection of Simpson is one thing. Taking a quarterback with the 13th overall pick was such a reckless move; for a second, I thought Les Snead worked for the Green Bay Packers.
Many years ago, in the prime of Davante Adams' career, the Packers decided to hire Matt LaFleur as their head coach. A former Rams assistant and Sean McVay's best friend, LaFleur revolutionized the Packers overnight, leading to an NFC Championship Game trip in year one with a rejuvenated Aaron Rodgers.
The Packers, instead of doubling down on building a winner that offseason, decided to trade up in the first round to select quarterback Jordan Love. That season, the Packers were the best team in football, Aaron Rodgers won MVP, Adams was electric, and yet, it resulted in nothing.
The Packers, because they did not invest in players who could help them win immediately, lost in the NFC Championship Game to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. One more postseason failure one year later, which resulted in the Rams hosting the NFC title game instead of Green Bay, led to Adams' departure. The Packers have won one playoff game since, zero division titles since Adams left, and have been nothing more than a seventh seed.
Adams has given everything to this organization in one year, and yet, they were willing to trade him away. They then refused to invest a luxury pick into a player who could help them win immediately. These moves are a betrayal of Adams, his ambitions, and everything he has selflessly poured into the organization.
The NFL is a business, but when teams start doing this type of business, players start making business decisions, and the Rams' culture is built on selfless actions. Adams held up his end of the bargain. The Rams didn't. Now it might be time for Adams to renegotiate terms.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams' 2026 offseason is a betrayal of Davante Adams' ambitions