The New York Jets weren’t able to find a deal for Davante Adams, and now he’ll be able to pick his next team.
The Jets, who started fielding trade calls for Adams in recent days, opted to release the wide receiver on Tuesday, according to multiple reports. It’s unclear what offers the Jets actually received for Adams, or how close they got to actually trading him. The Jets save roughly $30 million against the salary cap by releasing Adams.
Adams spent just 11 games with the Jets after he was dealt there ahead of the deadline from the Las Vegas Raiders, which reunited him with longtime quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Jets have opted to move on from Rodgers after just two seasons — though one of them lasted just four plays, when he injured his Achilles in his debut with the club in 2023.
Adams finished with 854 yards and seven touchdowns with the Jets, who went just 5-12 on the year and won only three games after Adams’ arrival. Despite the team’s struggles, Adams still finished with what was his fifth-straight 1,000-yard season.
The decision to move on from Adams isn’t too surprising for multiple reasons. Adams told the Raiders he wanted to go to the Jets when he asked for a trade, in part so he can reunite with Rodgers after their years of success together in Green Bay. With Rodgers out of the picture, and the Jets undergoing a rebuild with a new head coach and general manager, it makes sense that Adams is on his way out, too.
Perhaps most importantly, though, was how expensive Adams is for the Jets to keep. Adams was set to earn more than $35 million over the next two seasons. Now that Adams is gone, the Jets will save nearly $30 million in cap space.
With Adams now gone, the Jets will turn to Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard as their top two wide receivers moving forward. Wilson had a career-high 1,104 yards and seven touchdowns on 101 catches last season, his third in the league. While he still hit his third 1,000-yard campaign, Wilson was openly frustrated near the end of the season with his usage. Lazard, who also got his start with the Packers, had 530 yards and six touchdowns on 37 catches last season.
While those wide receivers are undoubtedly solid options, the Jets need to find a replacement for Rodgers before anything else. Then they can worry about the wide receivers room and life after Adams.
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