After Sunday evening’s season finale victory in opposition to the Dolphins, Davante Adams and Aaron Rodgers walked off the sphere collectively, presumably for the ultimate time as teammates.
On Monday, Adams instructed reporters Rodgers’ standing will impression the 32-year-old’s future with the crew.
“Yeah, for sure,” Adams mentioned. “I don’t know what his plans are yet and where that’s headed, but I would imagine it would have something to do with it.”
Adams was then requested if he could be open to returning to the Jets if Rodgers didn’t come again.
“Potentially, potentially,” Adams says. “It just would have to have to depend on everything.”
The Jets acquired Adams in a midseason commerce with the Raiders on Oct. 15, hoping he could be the lacking piece to their offense following a 2-4 begin and the firing of coach Robert Saleh every week earlier. Nonetheless, the Jets gained simply three video games after the Adams commerce, and their offense was inconsistent after the crew completed 5-12 and twenty fourth general offensively (310.3).
Adams is beneath contract for the 2025 and 2026 seasons at $35.64 million every year. Gang Inexperienced is projected to have $29.4 million in wage cap area and is unlikely to pay Adams that a lot cash going into his age 33 and 34 seasons.
If Adams needs to stay with the Jets, he is aware of he should rework his contract. A lot of that might depend upon whether or not Rodgers returns to the Jets, retires, or is launched.
Adams was excited to be reunited with Rodgers after the 2 performed eighth seasons along with the Packers (2014-21). Rodgers remained in Inexperienced Bay yet one more season in 2022, however Adams was traded to the Raiders that offseason and signed a five-year, $141.25 million contract extension in Las Vegas, making him the highest-paid large receiver on the time.
Nonetheless, after greater than two seasons, Adams requested to be traded final September, and the Raiders ultimately accommodated his request. This season, Adams completed with 85 receptions for 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns regardless of battling a hip damage.
“I don’t deserve a purple heart, but it’s definitely something that was nagging and painful,” Adams mentioned. “But I’ve played through tougher injuries before.”
Rodgers’ future with the Jets is at the moment in limbo. With a brand new coach and common supervisor coming in 2025 after Joe Douglas was fired in November, the Jets might transfer on from Rodgers, who has zero assured cash on his contract. If he stays with the Jets, Rodgers is on the books for $37.5 million in 2025, with a useless cap hit of $49 million as his wage cap if he’s launched.
Rodgers might additionally retire, and he instructed reporters Sunday evening that he would take a while to relaxation mentally and bodily earlier than deciding his future.
“I don’t know, I honestly don’t know,” Rodgers mentioned. “If I did, I don’t know that I’d tell you, so I will say that out of respect, but truthfully, I don’t know.
“I’m looking forward to those conversations with Woody [Johnson] and Christopher [Johnson] and Hymie [Elhai] and Phil [Savage] and anybody else. It feels good to be able to do some of the things the last five or six weeks that I knew I was capable of doing even at 40, 41, but either way, I won’t be upset or offended, whatever they decide to do, if they want to move on, and if I still want to play and if not I’ll let them know at some point if that’s the case.”
The Jets might resolve to rebuild after placing all their chips on the desk, making an attempt to finish their 14-year playoff drought and attain a Tremendous Bowl. Given their ages, it’s arduous to ascertain Adams and Rodgers returning to a rebuilding scenario, which might take years for the crew to compete. The Garrett Wilson facet might additionally have an effect on an Adams/Rodgers return to the Jets.
At instances this season, Wilson appeared sad with the shortage of targets he acquired throughout varied video games. Through the Jets’ victory at Jacksonville final month, he was seen blowing up on the sideline. He additionally solely acquired three targets through the first 55 minutes of the Dec. 22 loss to the Rams.
After Adams was acquired by the Jets, he acquired 114 targets and caught 67 receptions. Wilson, who was Rodgers’ second choice, registered 87 targets and 60 receptions.
“I’d like to be involved, love to make an impact on the game, but people see it differently,” Wilson mentioned after dropping to the Rams. “That’s out of my control.”
If Adams doesn’t return to the Jets, they need to discover a method to substitute his manufacturing reverse Wilson. He would even be a free agent for the primary time in his profession, which intrigues Adams.
“I don’t know because I came here in hopes that I wouldn’t have to find a new home,” Adams mentioned. “So, it’s kind of bittersweet.
“I guess it’s cool to be able to control where you go and I’ve done that still under contract. It’s a tough one, but obviously being able to have some control in this situation would be nice. I don’t know, we’ll see.”
