The Packers had high hopes for what wide receiver Davante Adams would bring to the lineup during the 2015 season, especially after they lost Jordy Nelson to a torn ACL, but Adams never hit those expectations.
He dealt with an ankle injury early in the year and a knee injury late, although things weren’t all that great when he was healthy. Drops were an issue for Adams and veteran James Jones wound up playing a more prominent role in the offense as the year progressed.
The struggles led to criticism and Adams said he had to “learn to block that out and be positive” when things aren’t going your way. Adams says it’s not the only lesson he learned this year that he thinks can make him a better player in the future.
“Having two things that really stopped me from playing, I’ve never really had to deal with that before,” Adams said, via the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “But you learn to put up with it. You learn to stay mentally tough throughout that process, and I think that’s something that could help me as a guy who plans on playing a long time in this league.”
Nelson is expected back for next season along with Randall Cobb, so Adams should be in a less prominent spot than he was when the 2015 season got underway. With Jeff Janis coming on late in the year and rookie Ty Montgomery coming back as well, the exact spot he’ll be in remains uncertain so anything he can use from this season to help him improve in the offseason should come in handy in the battle for playing time in Green Bay.