Aaron Rodgers’ dreams of a reunion have likely been dashed
One down.
Shrouded by rumors of acquiring a superstar wide receiver, the New York Jets can probably wave goodbye to one of their potential targets. Asked by reports about the possibility of trading Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco bluntly stated, “He’s a Raider,” adding that the team has “no plans” to trade the six-time Pro Bowler.
Raiders GM Tom Telesco has no plans to trade WR Davante Adams this off-season. “He’s a Raider,” Telesco told reporters. pic.twitter.com/iHrmtkiWJu
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 27, 2024
Raiders GM Tom Telesco has 'no plans' to trade Davante Adams this offseason pic.twitter.com/gBnEu5HNby
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) February 27, 2024
While you always expect a GM to give these types of answers when pressed by the media, Telesco’s responses seemed particularly firm. It also aligns with everything we’ve heard about Adams and the Raiders over the past few months. The Jets attempted to trade for Adams ahead of the October 31 trade deadline, but reporters indicated that Las Vegas had no desire to deal Aaron Rodgers’ former go-to guy.
Adams enjoyed eight successful seasons alongside Rodgers in Green Bay. After taking a few years to develop, he became one of the league’s most productive weapons in his prime. Across his final four seasons with Rodgers (2018-21), Adams averaged 108 receptions, 1,328 yards, and 12 touchdowns per season. He and Rodgers formed arguably the best QB-WR duo in football over this span.
Adams was traded to the Raiders in 2022, where he joined forces with college teammate Derek Carr. In his first season with Las Vegas, Adams didn’t miss a beat, catching 100 passes for 1,516 yards and a league-leading 14 touchdowns.
However, Adams’ production dipped in 2023 as the Raiders dealt with a poor year at the quarterback position. Catching passes from Jimmy Garoppolo and Aidan O’Connell, Adams secured 103 of his 180 targets for 1,144 yards and eight touchdowns – great numbers for most receivers but subpar by Adams’ standards. His average of 67.3 yards per game was his first year under 80 yards per game since 2017, and his average of 6.5 yards per target was the second-lowest of his career (only beating 2015, his second season).
Adams, who turned 31 in December, still has three seasons remaining on the five-year, $140 million contract he signed with Las Vegas in 2022.
If the Jets still want to add a star receiver, they will probably have to turn their attention to the free agent market, where Mike Evans and Calvin Ridley are the headliners. Tee Higgins was recently taken off the board as he received the franchise tag from Cincinnati.
