After acquiring the star receiver from the Las Vegas Raiders on Oct. 15, the New York Jets could be looking to move on. The arrangement was brief and, so far, has ended up being just another forgetful chapter in the team’s continued desire to appease Aaron Rodgers.
Adams played in just 11 games with the green-and-white, posting 67 catches, 857 yards and seven touchdowns. He earned a whopping 114 targets over that span, finishing second on the team to just Garrett Wilson, who saw 154 over 17 games.
With New York announcing their plan to move on from Rodgers, Adams’ future with the team is in serious doubt. The duo looks to be a package deal moving forward, or at least that was the case with the Jets.
As the offseason heats up, here’s what the Jets could do with the star receiver.
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Will the Jets cut Davante Adams?
The Jets cutting Adams looks to be the most likely outcome at this point. ESPN’s Rich Cimini reported that the receiver wouldn’t have to request his release since the Jets would grant it, given his $38.3 million cap hit for 2025.
With none of that guaranteed, New York can move on and continue cleaning up its salary cap situation in the wake of Rodgers’ eventual departure. The team would save $29.9 million by releasing Adams before June 1 and allow the receiver to test free agency for the first time.
If the team opted to designate Adams a post-June 1 cut, they would save $36.2 million in 2025 while being subjected to a dead cap charge of $2 million in 2025 and $6.2 million in 2026.
‘I came here with the hopes that I wouldn’t have to find a new home, so it’s kind of bittersweet, I guess,’ Adams said at the end of the season. ‘It’s cool to be able to control where you go, but I’ve done that (while) still under contract.’
Adams’ future was a common talking point after his arrival in October. He was noncommittal, especially regarding Rodgers’ uncertainty, saying, ‘I truly don’t have the answer to it right now.’
‘I would love to be a part of this football team,’ Adams said in early December. ‘I’d love to go to war with these guys, but it’s a business and there are a lot of pieces, contractually, and, obviously, with Aaron’s future – a lot of things that I can’t control.’
Given that he’d need to renegotiate his contract to stay and the lack of reported communication, Adams appears to be following his quarterback out the door and onto the free-agent market.
Will the Jets trade Davante Adams?
While the Jets would probably like to recoup some draft picks after their failed attempt to become the East Coast version of the Green Bay Packers, a trade involving Adams seems unlikely.
Cutting the receiver is a much cleaner break and allows him to chart his own path forward rather than having to rework his deal and find a team with the available cap space to take on the contract.
Regarding the salary cap, there is no difference between trading or cutting Adams.
Davante Adams contract
The 33-year-old Adams is currently set to enter the final two years of his five-year, $140 million deal that he signed upon his arrival in Vegas with the Raiders, according to Spotrac.
It carries an average salary of $28 million, but the cap charge is set to check in at $38.3 million in each of the last two seasons.
Adams is slated to become a free agent after the 2026 season, but that could come sooner if the Jets elect to release him this offseason.