Davante Adams ‘entertained’ 49ers’ ‘wholesale’ NFL free-agency pitch

The 49ers, despite parting ways with an abundance of players this offseason to shed salary, were interested in bringing in one high-profile player.

Star wide receiver Davante Adams told The Athletic's Mike Silver that San Francisco was one of the teams that expressed interest in him during free agency before he eventually signed a two-year, $46 million contract with the Los Angeles Rams in March.

“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.’”

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It's unclear what the 49ers had in mind as a "wholesale" contract, but the deal Adams signed with Los Angeles ($23 million annually) likely was out of their price range.

The 32-year-old receiver believes he still has plenty left in the tank entering his 12th NFL season, which will take place in the NFC West, where he will face off against San Francisco twice in 2025.

“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. I was high 4.4s coming in, and I’m running the same speeds now," Adams said to Silver. "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.”

After trading veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders earlier this offseason, the 49ers clearly weren't looking to break the bank to bring in another impactful wideout.