NFL Rumors: Davante Adams Traded to Jets from Raiders, Reunites with Aaron Rodgers

Davante Adams is on the transfer in a commerce that might tip the scales within the AFC playoff race.

The New York Jets announced Tuesday that they acquired the standout extensive receiver from the Las Vegas Raiders in trade for a conditional draft decide. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Jets are delivery a 2025 third-round decide to the Raiders that may turn out to be a second-rounder if sure efficiency benchmarks are met.

In response to Schefter, the Raiders “aren’t paying any” of Adams’ remaining wage within the deal, although NFL Community’s Ian Rapoport reported that Adams and the Jets have agreed to a contract restructure for 2024 that can reduce his cap hit.

Schefter later reported Adams is planning to make his debut with the staff on Sunday night time towards the Pittsburgh Steelers after recovering from a hamstring damage.

Adams’ long-term future in Las Vegas was a storyline all through the offseason till his brokers went on the record to deal with “baseless, unfounded hypothesis” and affirm his dedication to the Raiders.

It took 4 video games and a 2-2 begin for issues to shift dramatically.

On Oct. 1, NFL Community’s Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported Adams informed the staff he’d prefer to be traded. Schefter rapidly adopted up so as to add that Las Vegas would “think about” a swap and wanted a second-round decide plus different items.

The commerce is unlikely to be a well-liked one amongst Raiders followers. Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard, a longtime follower of the franchise, made his opinion clear when the rumors first broke:

This final result might have been inevitable, although.

Large receivers are getting paid bigger and bigger sums of cash, however there are nonetheless limits to how a lot they’ll single-handedly affect a recreation. Within the case of Adams, his arrival did not robotically make the Raiders a playoff staff. They completed with a shedding report in every of his first two years and are on tempo to do the identical in 2024.

Beginning subsequent 12 months, Las Vegas was going to must suppose lengthy and onerous about whether or not it wished to maintain Adams anyway. He makes a base salary of $35.6 million in 2025 and 2026 and carries a $44.1 million cap hit for these two seasons, and people are giant figures for a staff this removed from competition.

Adams’ manufacturing is not trending in the correct route, both.

The 31-year-old was an All-Professional in 2022, catching 100 passes for 1,516 yards and an NFL-high 14 touchdowns. Since then, he is averaging fewer than 12 yards per catch and 70 yards per recreation. The latter specifically is effectively under his peak years with the Inexperienced Bay Packers.

Possibly that is largely down the Raiders’ inconsistent play at quarterback, however even elite receivers do not always age gracefully. The warning indicators have been clearly there if a change of surroundings fails to carry a bump to Adams’ stats.

Generally, Las Vegas made an enormous miscalculation when it acquired the adorned pass-catcher from Inexperienced Bay. The overall supervisor and head coach chargeable for that commerce are gone, and the present regime took a long-term view when it evaluated the roster within the offseason.

Dealing Adams aligns a lot better with the Raiders’ new organizational priorities.

As soon as a commerce regarded like a powerful chance, the Jets have been one in every of his extra apparent touchdown spots since he has an current rapport with quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The match is not good in New York, although, given how crowded the staff’s receiving corps turns into now.

The Jets proceed to attend for Garrett Wilson to make his full breakthrough, but you’d assume the 24-year-old continues to be positioned as an vital piece for the longer term. Mike Williams and Allen Lazard are additionally on the roster.

Any person from that group will inevitably get marginalized within the passing recreation with Adams coming aboard, and that might current a fragile scenario for the teaching workers to handle.