Packers QB Aaron Rodgers pokes fun at Davante Adams, praises Allen Lazard

A question about Allen Lazard offered Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers the perfect opportunity to poke fun at a recent viral comment from former teammate Davante Adams.

“It’s always tough going from Hall of Famer to Hall of Famer,” Rodgers joked Wednesday.

The comment was in response to Lazard ascending to the No. 1 receiver role now that Adams is in Las Vegas and in reference to a recent interview with Adams in which the Raiders receiver casually mentioned going from a Hall of Fame quarterback in Rodgers to another Hall of Fame quarterback in Derek Carr. (Adams later clarified his comment.)

The two comments spliced together, thanks to this video from CBS Sports and Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, help illustrate the joke:

But Rodgers wasn’t all funny business. He also got serious about Lazard, who he thinks is ready to take on a bigger role and do some of the things asked of a No. 1 receiver in Green Bay.

“He’s capable of a lot,” Rodgers said. “And the way things have gone with the reps and the guys that we’ve had here and the targets that we’ve doled out, he hasn’t had a ton of opportunities. Since his first day here, he’s turned heads, so it’s not surprising for him to go out and have a really consistent day today. But he’s been working hard. He has a lot to prove, to himself, to other people, to the team as well. I like a hungry Allen Lazard. It will be an adjustment for us, but I’m happy with Day 1.”

Lazard, who caught a career-high eight touchdown passes last season, made a bunch of plays during the first practice, including a juggling catch on a deep ball from Rodgers.

Given his age, experience in the offense and chemistry with Rodgers, Lazard is the most likely candidate to lead the wide receiver group in 2022. His journey got off to a strong start on Wednesday.