Davante Adams trade: Aaron Rodgers reunited with favorite target as Jets make swap for disgruntled Raiders receiver, ESPN reports

NEW YORK — Determined to save their season from ruin and preserve their hopes of ending a half-century Super Bowl drought, the New York Jets are finalizing a blockbuster trade for star wide receiver Davante Adams, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday.

The Las Vegas Raiders will receive a conditional third-round draft pick that could improve to a second-round selection, sources told Schefter.

The Jets are assuming the balance of Adams’ remaining salary, a source told Schefter. Adams’ salary for this season is $17.5 million, with approximately $13.5 million still owed through the end of the season. And while he is under contract for 2025 and 2026, his annual salary jumps to $36.25 million for each of those seasons.

The trade will reunite Adams with quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the hopes of recreating one of the most dangerous duos in recent NFL history.

Adams, who turns 32 on Dec. 24, is a six-time Pro Bowl selection who achieved his greatest success with Rodgers as his quarterback with the Green Bay Packers. From 2014 to 2021, they combined for 615 completions, 7,529 yards and 68 touchdowns. They were the NFL’s second-most prolific tandem over that span, trailing only Matt Ryan and Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons.

The Jets have been on a win-now mission since acquiring Rodgers from the Packers in 2023, and they’re on a three-game losing streak at 2-4. A Rodgers-Adams reunion seemed inevitable, with Rodgers fanning the flames in July. At a celebrity golf tournament, he said, “I love Davante. I can’t wait to play with him … again.”

Adams’ two-plus seasons in Las Vegas will come to a tumultuous end, with Adams falling out of favor with coach Antonio Pierce and eventually requesting a trade. He identified the Jets as his No. 1 choice, and he got his wish, as the Jets outbid other teams.

Jets general manager Joe Douglas showed interest in Adams at the 2023 trading deadline but was rebuffed by the Raiders. He never lost interest, sources said, checking periodically on his potential availability. This time, he moved swiftly to get it done.

This move intensifies the pressure on Douglas and interim coach Jeff Ulbrich, who replaced the fired Robert Saleh last week. The Jets have missed the playoffs for 13 straight seasons, the league’s longest active drought — including the last three under Saleh.

Adams joins a crowded receiving corps that includes emerging star Garrett Wilson, Mike Williams and Allen Lazard. They also have Xavier Gipson, who also handles punt and kickoff returns, and rookie Malachi Corley.

Rodgers has compared Wilson to a young Adams. The two have yet to connect on a consistent basis, but Wilson is coming off his most productive game — 13 catches for 101 yards and a touchdown on 22 targets.

Adams was initially acquired by the Raiders in a blockbuster trade with the Green Bay Packers on March 17, 2022, the Raiders sending first- and second-round draft picks to the Packers so Adams, who grew up in Palo Alto, California, could not only be closer to home after seven seasons in Green Bay, but also reunite with his college quarterback at Fresno State, Derek Carr. But Carr was benched with two games to go in an eventual 6-11 season and was cut that offseason.

Still, Adams was named first-team All-Pro in 2022, catching 100 passes for 1,516 yards and a league-leading 14 touchdowns. A year later, with Jimmy Garoppolo, Brian Hoyer and Aidan O’Connell at quarterback, Adams had 103 catches for 1,144 yards and eight touchdown catches.

With Gardner Minshew at quarterback this season, Adams had 18 receptions for 209 yards and one touchdown in three games. He has missed the Raiders’ past three games because of a hamstring injury.

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