In a major move, the Las Vegas Raiders have traded star wide receiver Davante Adams to the New York Jets.
The Jets, struggling at 2-4 after a tough 23-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football, are hoping Adams will reinvigorate their offense and help turn their season around.
Adams will reunite with his former Green Bay Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, as part of this blockbuster trade.
Adams’ arrival comes in exchange for a conditional third-round pick, which could become a second-rounder depending on performance incentives.
In addition, the pick also becomes a second-rounder if Adams is on the Jets active roster for the AFC Championship Game or the Super Bowl.
The trade doesn’t necessarily come as a shock. After all, the speculation of Adams reuniting with Rodgers has been building for literally a year.
Taking playoff losses out of the equation, you can make the strong argument that Rodgers has never looked as frustrated as he did following the defeat to Buffalo last night.
Having said that, it’s not that Woody Johnson and the Jets tossed Rodgers a bone to keep him happy. The fact of the matter is this trade for Adams makes all the sense in the world and they got him beneath the price that Vegas was asking for.
In other words, it’s a win-win no matter how you look at it. (That certainly doesn’t mean that Adams is going to turn around the Jets season however.)
The deal ends Adams’ tenure in Las Vegas after just over two seasons.
The Raiders had originally acquired him in 2022 after Adams, unhappy with contract talks in Green Bay, was sent out west in exchange for first- and second-round picks.
Adams had high hopes in Las Vegas, as he was reunited with his college quarterback, Derek Carr.
The two quickly reignited their chemistry, with Adams catching 100 passes for 1,516 yards and a league-leading 14 touchdowns in their first year together.
However, despite Adams’ stellar play, the Raiders finished with a disappointing 6-11 record in 2022.
Carr was benched toward the end of the season, and his departure marked the beginning of uncertainty surrounding Adams’ future with the team.
This year, amid a rebuilding effort under new head coach Antonio Pierce, rumors of an Adams trade gained traction, especially after Pierce ‘liked’ a social media post suggesting the Raiders were shopping the wide receiver.
According to reports, the Jets not only offered a competitive trade package but also agreed to take on Adams’ entire contract, which carries a cap hit of $35 million in 2025 and $36 million in 2026.
This was a key factor in the Raiders’ decision to move on, as it frees up significant cap space for their future roster building.
Adams made a surprise appearance on today’s Pat McAfee Show when he popped over the shoulder of Rodgers during his weekly spot on the show.
The excitement shared by the two was clear as day. Interestingly, Adams didn’t do much to convince those who believe he was faking (or at least severely exaggerating) his hamstring injury in Vegas.
Regardless, Adams and Rodgers seem to be knee-deep in preparation already as the Jets get set to travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers in an extremely vital game next Sunday.
What are your thoughts on the trade finally happening?
Will the Jets be able to turn their season around before it’s too late???