Michael Irvin uses Aikman connection to question Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill decisions

Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin is never afraid to share his opinions. Whether it’s in an interview, on NFL Network, on Twitter, or anywhere else, this Hall of Famer always has something to say. The former Cowboys wide receiver recently questioned the decisions of some current NFL wide receivers during an interview with the New York Post. As we all know, the NFL experienced a massive shakeup this offseason.

Two of the biggest shocks came when former Green Bay Packers WR Davante Adams signed with the Las Vegas Raiders and former Kansas City Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins. While Adams and Hill are easily two of the best receivers in the league, their lucrative contracts are certainly nothing near what Irvin would’ve received back in his day.

Both contracts were massive. Hill signed a four-year deal worth $120 million, and Adams got himself a five-year contract worth $141.25 million. It’s not the money that Irvin doesn’t understand. The former Cowboys WR just doesn’t see how Adams could leave Aaron Rodgers for Derek Carr and how Hill could leave Patrick Mahomes for Tua Tagovailoa. The Hall of Famer said he’s unsure if he would’ve left a QB like Troy Aikman, no matter what was offered to him.

"“You can still go live there in your house in the offseason, but I’m not leaving those quarterbacks. Let’s see how this plays out. You’re making $30 million and you can have houses in two places. I think the most important thing is taking care of what’s on the football field.”"

Cowboys legend Michael Irvin questions Tyreek Hill and Devante Adams’ decisions to leave star quarterbacks, claiming he wouldn’t have left Troy Aikman for a fancy contract

Like Hill/Mahomes and Adams/Rodgers, Irvin and Aikman had quite the connection when they played for Dallas. In ten years and 128 games together, Irvin caught 641 catches from Aikman resulting in 9,949 yards and 54 touchdowns. You could say they were an excellent duo. Both current receivers had pretty perfect setups with MVP-caliber quarterbacks but chose to follow the money instead. The new Dolphins WR even admitted it “was tough” to leave Mahomes, but also added that when someone brings you a lot of money “your feelings change.”

In 1995, Irvin signed what was then considered a massive contract for the era that was worth $15 million for five years. Irvin even told the New York Post that he specifically remembers former Cowboys wideout Drew Pearson telling him how big of a deal that salary was. The Hall of Famer knew that the numbers would continue to increase as the years went on. He even said he’s happy that players are earning more.

"“That’s the nature of this game. The salary cap is over $200 million now. When I was playing, it was $60-80 million, so the money in the league has grown exponentially. No, I’m not jealous about it. I’m happy about it”"

Despite it all, he doesn’t think he would’ve left Rodgers or Mahomes if he were one of these current receivers, just like he wouldn’t have left Aikman in the 1990s. Of course, Carr and Tagavailoa aren’t the worst quarterbacks, but almost anyone is a downgrade from Rodgers and Mahomes. Will these receivers be able to rebuild that chemistry with new guys? Will the money be worth it? Irvin isn’t sure.

"“They had some great quarterbacks. I’m interested in seeing how it works out with Tua [Tagovailoa] and [Derek] Carr, but it’s surely not Mahomes and Rodgers. If you make that move, do you shorten the time you’re making $30 million a year because all of a sudden, you’re not making the same impact? This is a meritocracy. If you’re not putting up the numbers to support that $30 million, they’ll come for you, just like Dallas did with Amari Cooper and his $20 million. It would’ve been hard for me to make a business decision on leaving those quarterbacks.”"

These days it really seems that money is driving many players’ choices.