One of the NFL’s most iconic duos is back in business.
For eight seasons, Davante Adams and Aaron Rodgers formed one of the league’s best quarterback-wide receiver batteries with the Green Bay Packers. The duo combined for 68 touchdowns in Green Bay and connected for over 7,000 total yards through the air. Rodgers has thrown more than 200 more passes to Adams than any other target in his career, according to ESPN Research.
After two seasons apart, the duo is back together — this time with the New York Jets.
Rodgers and Adams reuniting in the Big Apple isn’t the first time that iconic teammates got back together on a new team after some time apart. Here’s a look at some of the other notable reunifications across the four major American sports leagues.
NFL
Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski
Not content with their three rings as a duo with the New England Patriots, Brady and Gronkowski teamed up for one last ride with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.
Gronkowski re-retired after securing a fourth title with Brady in Tampa Bay after a pair of seasons with the Buccaneers.
Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall
Though Marshall has since made comments putting their partnership in doubt, the quarterback and wide receiver had very successful seasons together, playing on the Denver Broncos from 2006 to 2008 and the Chicago Bears from 2012 to 2014.
In 2008, Cutler threw the ball to Marshall a staggering 179 times.
Peyton Manning and Brandon Stokley
Manning threw the ball to Stokley a lot. The duo was on the Indianapolis Colts together from 2003 to 2006, during which Stokley caught Manning’s then-record 49th touchdown pass in 2004.
The players were also on the Denver Broncos together in 2012. The two won Super Bowl XLI when the Colts beat the Bears in February 2007.
Ken Stabler and Dave Casper
The Hall of Famers were on the Oakland Raiders together from 1974 to 1979, and the Houston Oilers from 1980 to 1981.
If you’ve heard of the “Ghost to the Post” play, you have these two to thank for it. The pass from Stabler to Casper helped set up the game-tying field goal during the Raiders’ 1977 AFC divisional playoff game.
The Raiders went on to win the game in double overtime, the fifth-longest game in NFL history. The Raiders went on to win Super Bowl XI against the Minnesota Vikings in 1977.
Randall Cunningham and Cris Carter
The quarterback and wide receiver duo played on the Philadelphia Eagles from 1987 to 1989, then joined forces on the Vikings from 1997 to 1999.
The 1998 Vikings team was legendary, going 15-1 in the regular season. However, despite being favored to win Super Bowl XXXIII, the Vikings were upset by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1998 NFC Championship Game.
MLB
Mookie Betts and David Price
Betts and Price were both phenomenal on the Boston Red Sox from 2016 to 2019.
The baseball world was shocked when they were both traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2020 offseason, which was the first time an MVP winner (Betts) and a Cy Young winner (Price) moved together to a new team.
Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte
Imagine playing the New York Yankees and having to worry about facing either Clemens or Pettitte.
The pitching stars were Yankees teammates from 1999 to 2003, helping New York win the 1999 and 2000 World Series. Then, they were on Houston Astros from 2004 to 2006 before teaming back up for one more year together on the Yankees in 2007.
Pete Rose, Joe Morgan and Tony Perez
Rose, Morgan and Perez made for quite the trio. They were on the Cincinnati Reds together from 1972 to 1976 before they reunited on the 1983 Philadelphia Phillies.
The three of them won two World Series rings with the Reds, in 1975 and 1976.
Steve Carlton and Tim McCarver
This pitcher-catcher duo played for the St. Louis Cardinals together from 1965 to 1969, before meeting back up to play for Philadelphia in 1972. They were on the Phillies together again from 1975 to 1980.
In 1967, they won the World Series together as members of the Cardinals.
Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell
Beckett and Lowell won World Series rings together on both the Miami Marlins, where they played from 2001 to 2005, and the Red Sox, where they played from 2006 to 2010.
The November 2005 trade deal that sent Beckett and Lowell, as well as Guillermo Mota, from the Marlins to the Red Sox was labeled as one of the most consequential trades of the decade.
Beckett and Lowell won the 2003 World Series with the Marlins and the 2007 World Series with the Red Sox.
NBA
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade
One of the most iconic duos in NBA history at their peak, James joined Wade in South Florida in 2010. Before James left in the 2014 offseason for Cleveland, they won two NBA championships with the Miami Heat. The two reunited for a season when Wade left Miami for the Cavaliers in 2017.
Wade has since retired, while LeBron has moved on to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce
The two will always be remembered for their time as teammates on the Boston Celtics from 2007 to 2013. In 2008, the Celtics were NBA champions, and Pierce won Finals MVP.
The two were traded together to the Brooklyn Nets, where they played one season together in 2013.
Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green
The Leonard-Green pairing seems to attract championships. From 2011 to 2018, Leonard and Green were on the San Antonio Spurs together and won an NBA championship in 2014.
The two reunited up north on the Toronto Raptors and won the NBA Finals after the one season they played together in 2018-19.
Leonard now plays for the LA Clippers and Green is now retired.
Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler
These two teammates spent time together in both the pro and collegiate ranks — both times in the same city. Olajuwon and Drexler were collegiate teammates at the University of Houston from 1981 to 1983, and both played together on the Houston Rockets from 1995 to 1998. The duo won the 1995 NBA Finals together.
Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway
Shockingly, Shaq and Penny never won an NBA title together despite practically being a cheat code as a duo. They were teammates on the Orlando Magic from 1993 to 1996 and then again on the Miami Heat for the 2007-08 season.
NHL
Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier
Often called the greatest hockey player of all time, Gretzky played with Messier on the Edmonton Oilers from 1979 to 1988. During that time, they won four Stanley Cups, in 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988.
They then spent one more season (1996-97) together on the New York Rangers.
Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri
Gretzky also had success skating alongside Kurri. The two overlapped on the Oilers from 1980 to 1988, and Kurri also won four Stanley Cups with Edmonton.
The duo also played for the Los Angeles Kings from 1991 to 1995. They led the Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final but ultimately lost to the Montreal Canadiens.
Mark Messier and Jari Kurri
Messier and Kurri were successful teammates, too. The two were on the Oilers together from 1980 to 1990, during which they won five Stanley Cups. They also played together on the Rangers for the 1995-96 season.
Kelly Cohen and ESPN Research were original contributors to this story.
