The NY Jets committed to going all-in on the 2024 season when they sent a conditional third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for star wide receiver Davante Adams earlier this month.
The timing of the Adams trade was a little odd, given that the Jets had only recently fired their head coach and were in the midst of a losing streak. The hope and expectation was that Adams would be enough to not only turn the Jets' fortunes around but help them make a deep postseason run.
Instead, the Jets have still yet to win a game since acquiring Adams, and the six-time Pro Bowler has made a marginal impact at best in his two games with the organization.
The Jets look destined to fall short of the playoffs for the 14th consecutive year, and at this rate, there's a good chance Adams won't be with the team beyond this season. That trade already looks like a colossal failure for the franchise.
The Davante Adams trade has been an unmitigated disaster for the NY Jets
The Jets had made several attempts to trade for Adams since acquiring Aaron Rodgers in the 2023 offseason. Following over a year of rumors and flirting, the Jets finally struck a deal ahead of the team's Week 7 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
That Steelers game was a must-win for a Jets team riding a three-game losing streak and in desperate need of momentum. Adams would finish the game with just three catches for 30 yards as the Jets were blown out by three scores on primetime.
Adams didn't make a significant impact in his second game either, hauling in four catches for 54 yards. He's caught just seven catches for 84 yards since the Jets traded for him.
His 53.4 Pro Football Focus grade is the third-worst among the 57 wide receivers with at least eight targets over the last two weeks. That includes a team-worst 37.9 run-block grade and a 12.5% drop rate.
What makes Adams' lack of production even more stunning is that he was open quite a bit in that Patriots game. The Jets were able to scheme their top receiver open on a number of occasions — Rodgers just rarely looked his way.
Rodgers and Adams made a living in Green Bay as one of the best quarterback/wide receiver duos in NFL history. Rodgers has targeted Adams over 200 times more than any other receiver in his illustrious career.
And yet, for whatever reason, Adams has become an afterthought since joining the Jets. Part of that is his own doing, but part of it is also on his quarterback, who has seemingly preferred to target other receivers instead.
Regardless of the cause, Adams hasn't made the impact the Jets hoped he would. With no guaranteed money remaining on his deal beyond 2024, it's becoming increasingly unlikely that Adams will be on the Jets' roster in 2025. That's especially true if Rodgers and the Jets part ways.
The Jets gambled on their postseason hopes in 2024 with Joe Douglas and company trying to save their jobs. That gamble has failed miserably, and in turn, the Jets essentially set fire to a third-round pick.
Barring a complete and sudden turnaround, the Jets will fail to reach the postseason again in 2024, and the Adams trade will be added to the list of unsuccessful roster moves in a misguided attempt to go all in.
