The New York Jets have agreed to terms to acquire disgruntled wide receiver Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders, reuniting him with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, two people with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.
The Jets are sending a conditional third-round pick in next year’s draft that could become a second-rounder, but it is pending a physical, one of the people told the AP on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the teams didn’t announce the deal.
NFL Network was the first to report the trade.
The 31-year-old Adams immediately boosts a Jets offense that has been inconsistent through the first part of the season. The three-time All-Pro joins Garrett Wilson to give Rodgers two No. 1-caliber wide receivers to throw to, complementing fellow receivers Mike Williams, Allen Lazard and Xavier Gipson, tight end Tyler Conklin and running backs Breece Hall and Braelon Allen.
Adams, who missed the Raiders’ last three games with a hamstring injury, reportedly told the team he wanted out of Las Vegas — and the team was willing to accommodate his request.
And now he’s back with Rodgers, the quarterback with whom he enjoyed eight seasons of success catching passes from in Green Bay.
The deal came less than 12 hours after the Jets lost 23-20 to the Buffalo Bills, a game in which Rodgers threw a Hail Mary just before halftime but also was intercepted on New York’s final drive for the second straight week. It was a game marked by penalties, mistakes and missed opportunities on offense.
“It’s frustrating,” Rodgers said. “I’m here to win those games, but we’ve got to be on our details. It’s little things every single time.”
The trade also caps what has been a tumultuous last seven days for the Jets. Two days after losing to Minnesota in London, owner Woody Johnson fired head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was tapped to replace him as the interim. Ulbrich then demoted offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and replaced him with pass game coordinator Todd Downing on Wednesday.
And now the Jets have made a major deal to bring in Adams, one of Rodgers’ best friends and favorite teammates.
Adams’ departure from Las Vegas was expected after reports surfaced that he no longer wanted to be there — and the Jets immediately became a likely landing spot because of his relationship with Rodgers.
In his weekly appearance on the “Up & Adams Show” two weeks ago, Adams said he hadn’t heard from Antonio Pierce since the Raiders coach coach appeared to like a social-media post about possibly trading Adams.
That was the first sure sign that a split could be coming, though an Adams trade has long been speculated given several statements he has made for more than a year. That included clear frustration he showed on the Netflix documentary series “Receiver” in which Adams’ season was among those featured.
Adams remains one of the NFL’s top receivers, even at nearly 32, because of his precise route running and ability to catch passes, even while double teamed. He caught 103 passes last season for 1,144 yards and eight touchdowns. It was his fifth 1,000-yard season in six years, broken up only by the 997 yards Adams had in 2019.
He has caught 18 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown in three games this season.
AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi and AP Sports Writer Mark Anderson contributed to this report.
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