On Tuesday, the New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders agreed to the first significant trade of the 2024 NFL season, finalizing a deal that sent wideout Davante Adams from the AFC West to the AFC East.
What led to this week’s Adams trade, and how will his presence in New York affect the AFC playoff race? Let’s run through all the fallout from the Jets-Raiders blockbuster.
Why Did the Raiders Trade Davante Adams?
For the Raiders, this certainly wasn’t the ending owner Mark Davis had in mind when he allowed then-head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler to trade first- and second-round picks to the Green Bay Packers for Adams in 2022.
Adams thrived in his first season in black and silver. Reunited with Derek Carr, his college quarterback at Fresno State, Adams earned his third consecutive Pro Bowl nod after posting 100 catches for 1,516 yards and a league-leading 14 touchdowns.
However, the Raiders benched Carr near the end of the 2022 campaign and released him during the 2023 offseason. Adams put up 1,144 yards and eight touchdowns last year — a down season by his standards — and was repeatedly frustrated by Carr’s replacement under center, free agent addition Jimmy Garoppolo.
🚨 🚨 🚨
The #Raiders are completing a trade of star WR Davante Adams to the #Jets, sources say.
Back with his good friend, Aaron Rodgers. As Las Vegas moves on. pic.twitter.com/jKyKJk0WLL
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 15, 2024
Adams pushed for the Raiders to hire 2023 interim head coach Antonio Pierce on a full-time basis, which Davis eventually did. However, Adams and Pierce’s relationship appeared to sour at some point this year.
In late September, Pierce’s verified Instagram account liked a post suggesting that Adams had played his last snap for Las Vegas. Later that week, Kay Adams of the “Up & Adams Show” asked Adams about his communication with Pierce.
“I haven’t heard from him. I haven’t talked to him,” Adams said. “… Social media is a beast, so it’s a lot of people out there that saw it and wondering what’s going on and reaching out.”
The Raiders dropped to 2-4 by losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6. Las Vegas isn’t a realistic postseason contender, while Pierce has already benched veteran QB Gardner Minshew II for second-year passer Aidan O’Connell. The Raiders no longer need an expensive 31-year-old pass catcher like Adams on their roster.
What Was the Trade Compensation?
The Jets agreed to trade a conditional 2025 third-round pick to the Raiders in exchange for Adams. That draft choice can be upgraded to a second-round pick if Adams meets certain thresholds this season.
If Adams finishes the season as either a first- or second-team All-Pro or is on New York’s active roster for either the AFC Championship Game or the Super Bowl, Las Vegas will get a second-round selection instead of a third-rounder.
The Jets had two 2025 third-round picks when they entered negotiations with the Raiders. During the 2024 NFL Draft, New York general manager Joe Douglas sent the Detroit Lions a fourth-round pick in exchange for their 2025 third-round choice.
It’s unclear whether Gang Green traded their own third-rounder or Detroit’s pick in the Adams trade.
Why Did the Jets Need Davante Adams?
The Jets had already tried just about everything else to get their season back on track before acquiring Adams from the Raiders.
Owner Woody Johnson fired head coach Robert Saleh after New York’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5 dropped Gang Green to 2-3.
Interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich made his own changes this week, demoting offensive coordinator and Rodgers confidant Nathaniel Hackett while installing passing game coordinator Todd Downing as the Jets’ new play-caller.
Even after falling to 2-4 after a Monday night loss to the Buffalo Bills, New York still views itself as a contender.
Who stops the Jets' new offense? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/tWXt1FTbT9
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 15, 2024
However, its passing game had to improve. Gang Green ranked just 20th in EPA per dropback after Week 6. While Garrett Wilson is a verified WR1, the Jets needed another pass catcher to complement the former Offensive Rookie of the Year winner.
That became especially true after Mike Williams — who signed a one-year, $10 million deal with New York this offseason — appeared to run an incorrect route on Rodgers’ game-ending MNF interception.
Rodgers called out Williams after the Jets’ loss. New York is now attempting to trade Williams after acquiring Adams.
Did Aaron Rodgers Force This Trade?
Rodgers and Adams were electric during their time with the Packers, connecting for 622 receptions, 7,590 receiving yards, and 69 touchdowns. Because of that existing relationship, the Jets were often mentioned as Adams’ most likely suitor.
NFL Network reported that Rodgers “wanted” and “recruited for” the Adams trade.
After the deal was completed, Rodgers appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” to discuss the deal.
"I love Davante Adams and he's a phenomenal player..
I heard the news at about 12:45 last night"@AaronRodgers12 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/42DQNmMzX6
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 15, 2024
“Obviously, I’m really excited,” Rodgers said. “Love (Davante), he’s a phenomenal player and a dear friend. It was a crappy day yesterday, obviously. We had a chance to get to 3-3 and win a home game; kind of gave that one away.
“I was pissed driving home through traffic. I had a couple of messages. I was just not in the mood to talk to anybody. Got home, and (Davante) had called me and texted me. I finally called him back, 12:30, 12:45 last night, heard the news.”
Adams briefly appeared alongside Rodgers and suggested that his hamstring injury will not prevent him from playing in the coming weeks.
“I’m feeling great,” Adams said. “I’ll be able to roll.”
How Does the Adams Trade Impact the Jets and Raiders’ Salary Caps?
Adams is earning $16.89 million in base salary this season. The Jets are taking on all of his remaining salary, which comes out to roughly $11.26 million.
New York will also pay the rest of Adams’ per-game roster bonuses. Assuming he plays in the rest of the Jets’ games, he’ll earn $330,000 in per-game bonuses to close the season.
All told, New York is on the hook for $11.59 million after acquiring Adams. The Jets had just over $17 million in available cap space before trading for the veteran wideout.
Adams is technically under contract through the 2026 campaign under the terms of the five-year, $140 million extension he signed with the Raiders in 2022. However, none of Adams’ earnings are guaranteed beyond this season.
There’s almost no chance the Jets will be willing to pay Adams his scheduled $35.7 million and $36.6 million base salaries in 2025 and 2026. Instead, he’ll likely rework his deal to stick with the New York heading into next year, or Gang Green will cut him next offseason.
Because the Raiders traded Adams after June 1, his dead money will be spread across this season and next. Las Vegas will take on $13.67 million in dead money in 2024 and $15.7 million in 2025.
Are the Jets Now Super Bowl Contenders?
How much will Adams affect the Jets’ playoff chances? While BetMGM gave New York slightly shorter Super Bowl odds — from +3500 to +3000 — after the Adams trade, other sportsbooks like DraftKings didn’t alter the Jets’ odds.
Getting into the postseason is half the battle, and the AFC’s relative weakness still gives the Jets a chance there. ESPN’s playoff model gives New York a 46% chance of entering the dance following their Week 6 loss to the Bills.
Gang Green’s defense remains strong. The Jets ranked third in EPA per on defense (-0.18) last season in 2023 and is eighth (-0.15) through six weeks in 2024. Only the Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos have allowed fewer yards per play this season.
New York’s issues have been on offense, where Rodgers and Co. rank 22nd in scoring, yards per play, and first downs.
Adams should help. Although he might not be the player he once was, Adams still managed 1.97 yards per route run in 2023 (tied for 28th in the NFL) despite working with sub-par quarterback play. He put up 100 catches for 1,516 yards and a league-leading 14 touchdowns as recently as 2022.
