LOS ANGELES — Davante Adams stared straight into the smartphone camera, smiled, and threw gasoline on the 2026 NFL offseason. Ahead of Saturday’s Fanatics Flag Football event, the Los Angeles Rams star participated in a viral “Pass the Phone” social media trend. He didn’t hesitate. Adams openly named Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow as the one player he wishes he could line up with on Sundays.
The noisy background of the promotional event faded out the second Adams made his declaration. The video quickly cut to Burrow, sending fans in both Los Angeles and Cincinnati into a frenzy. Adams knows elite quarterback play. He caught passes from Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford. Naming Burrow puts the six-year veteran in rare company.
Burrow earned that respect the hard way. He absorbed brutal hits, fought through multiple season-ending injuries, and still collected two Comeback Player of the Year awards. Even after playing just eight games last season, his accuracy and fierce leadership secured his third Pro Bowl selection in 2025. Peers around the league watch his film and see a flat-out winner.
You can trace this deep admiration back to the 2021 AFC Championship. The stadium literally shook in Kansas City when Burrow marched his team down the field, securing a massive 27-24 overtime win. To this day, the Bengals remain the only AFC team to march into Arrowhead and eliminate Patrick Mahomes in the postseason. That cold-blooded execution sticks with veterans like Adams.
“I’m passing the phone to somebody who I wish I had the chance to play with…”
— Davante Adams, Los Angeles Rams Wide Receiver
This simple quote changes the offseason temperature. Adams currently has one year left on his contract with the NFC runner-up Rams. Los Angeles already paid his roster bonus, signaling they plan to keep him. However, the NFL moves fast. If the Rams stumble out of the gate in 2026 and look to rebuild, Adams just publicly broadcasted his preferred trade destination.
Imagine the freezing December winds whipping through Paycor Stadium, but the opposing defense has to cover Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Davante Adams. Adding a future Hall of Famer to Cincinnati’s receiver room would make their offense completely unguardable. Bengals General Manager Les Snead needs to keep his phone volume turned all the way up.
For now, Adams and Burrow will share the field as teammates on Team Wildcats in the weekend’s flag football tournament. But every general manager in the AFC North just felt a cold chill down their spine. When stars of this magnitude start flirting publicly, blockbusters often follow.
