When the New York Jets acquired wide receiver Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders for a third-round pick back in October, their approach was evident. Adams would be a helpful piece trying to extract more out of Aaron Rodgers' situation, and everything would be assessed again in the offseason.
Even though the collective results were not good, Adams performed at a high level individually. In 11 games, the star receiver had 854 yards and seven touchdowns—extrapolating those numbers for a full 17-game season, that would be 1,319 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.
But when Adams originally signed his current contract with the Raiders back in 2022, it was always intended to really be a three-year deal, with two somewhat fake seasons at the end to inflate his yearly average. Over the first three seasons of the contract, Adams made $23.6 million, $26.6 million, and $17.4 million. For the next two seasons, he is slated to make $36.25 million in each year.
That's probably too much for a player who will be 34 by the end of the deal. And it's something the Jets will have to consider.
Contract implications
When the Jets acquired Adams, they immediately restructured his contract, making his 2024 cap hit as low as possible. But that creates a future impact, adding $8.3 million in dead money if Adams is released or traded this offseason. Even if Adams stays, the restructure adds $2.09 million of cap hit in 2025 and 2026, plus $4.18 million of dead money in 2027 as a void year.
Right now, Adams' projected cap hit for 2025 is $38.34 million. Trading or releasing him would create $30 million in cap space, generating $36.25 million in cash savings this season.
At this point in the Jets' roster-building timeline, with a new general manager and head coach coming in, it's hard to imagine the team keeping him with the current deal.
Options
If the Jets want to keep Adams, it will have to be a partnership between the new management structure and the player's representation to adjust his deal. The contract was never made to be paid over the final two seasons, but it was a stress point to force a decision—or at least a negotiation.
And if Aaron Rodgers leaves, there would be little reason for Adams to stay. In this case, a simple release is a likely option.
However, there is still a way for the Jets to get something out of the situation. If Adams chooses his next destination, the Jets could allow the player to negotiate an adjusted deal and trade him, getting some type of compensation on the way.
The decision to trade for Davante Adams was always set to be a short-term move. Now, the inflection point has come.
