The San Francisco 49ers were widely expected to pursue Davante Adams after the New York Jets released the veteran wide receiver—and they did. But their interest didn't match their willingness to spend. Unwilling to meet market value, the 49ers watched Adams land with their NFC West rivals, the Los Angeles Rams.
In a conversation with Michael Silver of The Athletic, Adams confirmed that the 49ers were intrigued by the idea of adding the six-time Pro Bowler, who is coming off his sixth 1,000-yard season, all within the last seven years.
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At the time, San Francisco was preparing for a roster reset, anticipating less future financial flexibility with quarterback Brock Purdy slated to become the highest-paid player in franchise history. However, that extension has yet to materialize. As a result, the team took a more conservative approach in free agency, even after agreeing to trade away wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
"I was entertaining the Niners," Adams told Silver, "but they were like, 'We're paying wholesale. We ain't paying retail.' I didn't talk to them, but that's what my agent told me — like five times, that quote. And I was like, 'OK, well, I'm not a wholesale-type dude.'"
Adams still believes he's playing at an elite level, and it's hard to argue that he isn't still making an impact on the football field.
"I haven't lost any speed—which, you know, I didn't come into the league as a burner, so people weren't looking to see a 4.2 (40-yard dash) turn into 4.5," Adams said. "I was high 4.4s coming in, and I'm running the same speeds now. Whether it's the GPS, or if I could line up and run a 40 right now, I'd probably run a faster 40 than I ran when I was 21 years old. And obviously, I mean, the proof is in the pudding. I don't need to tell you what I can still do or not."
The 49ers will continue retooling their roster this week during the 2025 NFL Draft, where they're expected to target at least one wide receiver. The team has already signed Demarcus Robinson away from the Rams, but with Samuel gone and Brandon Aiyuk still recovering from a torn ACL and MCL suffered in October, San Francisco will need to add more firepower at the position to stay competitive early in 2025.
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