Former Cowboys receiver and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin discussed the recent paydays for Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill on Monday.
Irvin said he is happy for the two star receivers as they receive mammoth contracts, though he did question whether their new locations will result in similar success. Hill was traded from the Chiefs to the Dolphins this offseason, while Adams went from the Packers to the Raiders.
“You left Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes—I don’t know if I could’ve ever left Troy Aikman,” Irvin told the New York Post’s Ryan Glasspiegel. “I don’t think I could’ve done that. … Let’s see how this plays out.”
Irvin played all 12 NFL seasons with Dallas from 1988 to ‘99, tallying 750 receptions and 65 touchdowns. The five-time Pro Bowler and three-time Super Bowl champion elaborated on his thought process, saying that the big paychecks have to be backed up by impact on the field—or else it could be taken away from them.
“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,” he said. “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.”
