NEW YORK– The New York Jets are finalizing a deal to acquire wide receiver Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders, CBS News New York confirms.
The move will reunite Adams with his former Green Bay Packers teammate and Jets star quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
New York is sending a conditional third-round selection in next year’s draft, who could become a second-rounder, pending Adams’ physical, a source with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. NFL Network was first to report the transaction.
The deal comes amid major changes in the Jets’ locker room after the game the firing of head coach Robert Saleh last week. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich took over as interim head coach for Monday evening loss to the Buffalo Bills in the race for first place in their division.
Rodgers threw a Hail Mary just before halftime, but was also intercepted on the final drive for a second week in a row. It was a game marked by penalties, fouls and missed opportunities on offense that dropped the Jets to 2-4.
“It’s frustrating,” Rodgers said. “I’m here to win those games, but we have to pay attention to the details. It’s the little things every time.”
Following Saleh’s midseason firing, rumors began to circulate that Rodgers had had a hand in the shakeup, but the future Hall of Famer refuted the allegations in an interview the next dayand called them “patently false.”
This is what Davante Adams offers the Jets offense
Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
Adams, who missed the Raiders’ last three games due to a hamstring injury, reportedly told the team he wanted to leave Las Vegas — and the team was willing to honor his request.
And now he’s back with Rodgers, the quarterback he had success catching passes with for eight seasons out of Green Bay.
It seemed inevitable, especially when the Jets reportedly showed interest in Adams at the NFL trade deadline last year. Rodgers said at a celebrity golf tournament last summer, “I love Davante. I can’t wait to play with him again.” With a smile, Rodgers said during training camp that he meant on the golf course, but it was enough to fuel speculation that the Jets would at some point — somehow — move to land Adams.
Now the Jets have made a major deal to land Adams, one of Rodgers’ best friends and favorite teammates. Adams has caught 615 passes from Rodgers for 7,517 yards and 68 touchdowns, all in Green Bay. That’s the most in all three categories among any combination of active players.
The 31-year-old Adams immediately boosts a Jets offense That has been inconsistent through the first part of the season. The three-time All-Pro joins Garrett Wilson to give Rodgers two No. 1-caliber wide receivers to throw to, complementing fellow receivers Mike Williams, Allen Lazard and Xavier Gipson, tight end Tyler Conklin and running backs Breece Hall and Braelon Allen.
Adams’ departure from Las Vegas was expected after reports surfaced that he no longer wanted to be there – and the Jets immediately became a likely landing spot due to his relationship with Rodgers.
In his weekly appearance on the “Up & Adams Show” two weeks ago, Adams said he had not heard from Antonio Pierce since the Raiders coach appeared to like a social media post about possibly trading Adams.
That was the first clear sign that a split could be coming, although an Adams trade has long been speculated given the various statements he has made for over a year. That included the obvious frustration he showed in the Netflix documentary series “Receiver,” in which Adams’ season was one of the highlights.
Adams remains one of the NFL’s best receivers, even at nearly 32 years old, due to his accurate route running and ability to catch passes even when double-teamed. Last season he caught 103 passes for 1,144 yards and eight touchdowns. It was his fifth 1,000-yard season in six years, broken only by Adams’ 997 yards in 2019.
He has caught 18 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown in three games this season.
The Raiders gave up a big pick to get Adams in 2022 when they sent the Packers first- and second-round picks in that year’s draft and made Adams the highest-paid receiver at the time with a five-year, $140 million contract, with nearly $66 million guaranteed.
His final two years in 2025 and 2026 are not guaranteed. According to Spotrac, Adams’ salary cap will increase from $25.35 million this season to $44.1 million each of the next two years. ESPN reported that the Jets will pick up the balance of Adams’ remaining salary.
Stay with CBS News New York for the latest updates on this developing story.
