Despite not playing in the Hall of Fame Game, Aaron Rodgers still managed to turned heads Thursday night courtesy of his latest eyebrow-raising comments comparing Garrett Wilson to Davante Adams.
Since joining the Jets earlier this offseason, the star quarterback has spoken highly of Wilson on multiple occasions, even going as far as likening his new teammate to Adams—his Packers running mate from 2014 to ’21.
On Thursday, Rodgers, again, took a moment to sing Wilson’s praises during an interview with NBC’s Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth from the sidelines in Canton. And, needless to say, the 39-year-old didn’t hesitate to add to the surging hype surrounding his connection with Wilson by offering another comparison to Adams.
“What an amazing kid,” Rodgers said of Wilson. “You know, I have so much love and respect for Davante, I feel like he’s the best receiver in the league, so I don’t say this lightly, but there are definitely traits that this 17 has that that special 17 has as well.
“I’m not going to put him in that category yet, because Davante is in a category by himself, but Garrett has the potential to really be special in this league for a long time.”
"There are definitely traits that this 17 has that that special 17 has as well."
— NFL (@NFL) August 4, 2023
Rodgers sees a lot of Davante Adams in Garrett Wilson. 🙌
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Although Rodgers stopped short of naming specific traits, the four-time MVP did mention Wilson’s “incredible talent” and “great work ethic,” intangibles that have, obviously, been used to describe the current Raiders All-Pro.
Based on his trajectory and Rodgers’s feedback, Wilson, much like Adams, has an opportunity to be a major factor in a Rodgers-led offense with big ambitions. And, if the offseason is any indication, many, including Adams himself, can already see the potential.
The 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year, Wilson’s emergence is sure to be a storyline that will follow the 23-year-old, as well as Rodgers, this season. In 17 games (12 starts) last season, Wilson recorded 83 receptions for 1,103 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
