Jets Restructure Davante Adams’ Deal
OCTOBER 18: Providing further details on the restructure, ESPN’s Rich Cimini notes nearly all of Adams’ 2024 salary ($10.45MM) was converted into a signing bonus to create the immediate cap savings. While void years are now present, no changes have been made to the 2025 and ’26 salaries at this point. Further work to the pact – including the infusion of new guarantees – will no doubt be coming this offseason if Adams is to meet his goal of remaining in New York for years to come.
OCTOBER 15: The Raiders found a team willing to pay Davante Adams‘ full remaining salary. Undoubtedly lowering the trade price, the Jets are absorbing the $10.9MM left on the All-Pro receiver’s base salary this year. As was the case with the Aaron Rodgers trade, the Jets are making a change to give themselves more breathing room.
A restructure will take place, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who indicates the revised agreement will reduce Adams’ 2024 base salary. That number stood at $16.89MM coming into the season, but with six games passing, it dropped below $11MM. While the new number is not yet known, the Jets are pushing money into the future to help defray some of the immediate cost.
Base-to-bonus restructures and the introduction of void years can help cut cap numbers, and Rapoport adds the Jets appear likely to adjust the talented wide receiver’s deal for 2025 and ’26 (no void years are on Adams’ deal prior to this restructure). Void years will now be included, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, who reports the Jets have dropped Adams’ cap number to $3.21MM by adding two void years. Adams’ deal still runs through 2026, but the voids technically push it through 2028.
Adams is due nonguaranteed $35.6MM and $36.6MM cap figures, respectively, over the next two seasons. Those lofty numbers are part of the five-year, $140MM extension Adams signed upon being traded to the Raiders. That fit did not end up panning out, and the Jets had long loomed as an interested party — dating back to their April 2023 Rodgers trade.
While negotiations had pushed a deal near completion Monday, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz notes the salary component represented the final hurdle. The Raiders’ insistence an acquiring team pick up the full tab had loomed as a key component in this trade, and while the AFC West team probably would have received more in terms of trade compensation by agreeing to pay part of Adams’ remaining 2024 salary, the organization stood pat and sent the full number to the Jets’ payroll. That will now be stretched beyond 2024.
This transaction will make it more difficult for the Jets to move on from Adams after this year. Previously, the Jets would have taken on no dead money from a 2025 separation. Though, they would have faced a near-impossible task in attempting to trade a contract featuring a $35.6MM 2025 base salary.
Although Rodgers has described the team as all in after this trade, he has indicated an openness to playing beyond 2024. Rodgers’ uncertain future in Green Bay affected Adams’ decision to pass on a 2022 Packers extension offer, leading to the tag-and-trade maneuver, and the 11th-year wideout also was linked to hesitancy regarding the Jets due to Rodgers’ cloudy post-2024 plans in New York. Though, it appears the parties are onboard. Adams being tied to the Jets through 2026 will assuredly factor into Rodgers’ retirement considerations this coming offseason.
As part of a summer 2023 restructure, a $35MM roster bonus would come Rodgers’ way if he decides to play again next season. The 2025 season would be Rodgers’ 21st should he decide to stick around. Of course, the Jets firing Robert Saleh and having Joe Douglas on a hot seat — though, it may not be as hot as we previously thought — complicates even Rodgers’ 2025 status. Of course, QB talent is quite hard to procure, so a new Jets regime — if that is the way ownership proceeds after this already-tumultuous season — would need to factor that into the decision as well.
For the first time since 2020, Rodgers and Adams are each under contract for multiple seasons together. The Jets will hope this deal can trigger a midseason turnaround, as they have now checked off the top box on the QB’s wish list.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/17/24
Thursday’s taxi squad moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: G Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu
- Released: TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden
Denver Broncos
- Signed: S Tanner McCalister
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR Ethan Fernea
- Released: LB Austin Ajiake
New York Jets
- Signed: S Marquise Blair
- Released: OL Alec Lindstrom
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/17/24
Thursday’s minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Waived: RB Blake Watson
- Elevated: LB Kwon Alexander, G Calvin Throckmorton
New Orleans Saints
- Signed to active roster: WR Jermaine Johnson
- Promoted: S Johnathan Abram, WR Equanimeous St. Brown
New York Jets
- Waived: TE Brenden Bates
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Designated for return from IR: WR Rakim Jarrett
Watson could be claimed off waivers by any teams seeking backfield depth. If that does not take place, though, he will become a free agent. Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette reports a mutual interest exists for team and player to reunite via a practice squad deal provided it is possible. Watson, an undrafted rookie, has made only one appearance to date so he should have a strong chance of passing through waivers unclaimed.
Davante Adams Hoping To Remain With Jets Beyond 2024
For the second time in three years, Davante Adams forced his way out of one NFL facility to play with a former quarterback.
In 2022, he left the Packers to catch passes from his former college quarterback, Derek Carr, in Las Vegas. The reunion was short-lived; Carr was ultimately cut and signed with the Saints in 2023, planting the seeds of Adams’ discontent with the Raiders that flowered into a full-blown trade request a few weeks ago.
Now, he’s a Jet, back with Aaron Rodgers. The four-time MVP’s most decorated receiver from his Packers days is now hopeful that his relationship with the team lasts beyond this season.
“That’s the plan,” Adams said regarding a post-2024 Jets future, via Around The NFL’s Nick Shook. “I never go somewhere in hopes of having to find a new home.”
The star receiver also confirmed that he picked his trade destination, saying he “essentially” told the Raiders that he wanted to end up in New York. The Saints and Steelers pursued the 11th-year receiver, with the Bills monitoring the situation. Buffalo ended up with Amari Cooper, while New Orleans and Pittsburgh are still looking for receiver help.
Adams has two years remaining on his contract, though the Jets restructured his deal and added two void years to lower his 2024 cap hit. That will make it harder for the Jets to jettison Adams down the road. The All-Pro wideout would cost the team $38.3MM against the salary cap in 2025 and 2026, though his $35.6MM (2025) and $36.6MM (2026) base salaries are not guaranteed. New York can afford him, but the whole team’s future is uncertain after a 2-4 start this season.
The Jets already fired head coach Robert Saleh, and the contract of general manager Joe Douglas expires after this season. Another failed season could inspire owner Woody Johnson to make even more leadership changes. The most unpredictable factor might be the mercurial Rodgers, who was the main driver behind Adams’ desire to get to New York. But Rodgers has openly mulled retirement multiple times in recent years; if he were to hang it up, Adams may not want to remain a Jet much longer.
Adams and the Jets agreed to discuss his future in New York after the 2024 season, where both sides will have much more information about their relative plans. That will make for an interesting component regarding Rodgers’ New York future as well. First, the Jets will need to orchestrate the turnaround they are hoping the Rodgers-Adams connection can produce.
Lions Check In On Jets’ Haason Reddick
Aidan Hutchinson‘s gruesome injury gives the Lions a clear need as they continue to move toward Super Bowl contention. Nearly three weeks remain until the trade deadline, and Detroit has now touched base with the top edge rusher available.
The Lions have checked in with Haason Reddick‘s camp, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. While this could qualify as due diligence, the Lions make sense as a Reddick landing spot. The Jets gave the holdout edge rusher permission to seek a trade, doing so shortly after the sides had talked about a solution that brings him to New York.
At odds with the Jets since shortly after his arrival in late March, Reddick has passed on six game checks. The standout edge player is attached to a $14.5MM base salary, though the prorated amount is now just more than $9MM. The Lions held more than $28MM in cap space before their Alim McNeill extension; that number placed them in fourth in the NFL.
The Jets probably are not too keen on doing Reddick any favors by picking up some of his salary to facilitate a trade, but at this point, the team appears willing to see what can be had for the disgruntled edge performer. Reddick has sought a multiyear deal; the Jets have not budged and do not plan to. For an extended period, the Jets were not willing to discuss trading Reddick. This would bring a strange end to a chapter that has not reflected well on the team, but the earlier the Jets move on, the better their compensation stands to be. Reddick’s Eagles-constructed contract runs through season’s end, and the 30-year-old defender is running the risk of minimizing his 2025 free agent market by staying off the field.
Reddick’s 50.5 sacks from 2020-23 rank fourth in the NFL. The Lions have run into issues in terms of Hutchinson complementary players for most of the star defender’s tenure. Now that the league’s 2024 sack leader is gone (almost definitely for the season), it stands to reason Detroit will need more help.
“Look, we’re open to anything. Brad’s working through it,” Dan Campbell said of GM Brad Holmes. “We are not going to be in a hurry. Brad would tell you — man, he’s doing his homework. The crew is doing their homework. They’re looking at everything. But we’re not just going to make a move to make it. It’s got to be right. It’s got to be the right guy and the pieces have to fall in place.”
The Lions signed Marcus Davenport to a one-year, $6.5MM deal and still roster the likes of Josh Paschal and James Houston. Of that trio, only Davenport has a sack. The oft-injured former first-rounder has tallied a half-sack and is on IR, where he spent most of his Vikings tenure. Hutchinson’s 7.5 lead the Lions by five, highlighting the need — despite Campbell’s comments conveying patience.
Reddick would check this box quickly, though the Lions authorizing another extension — for a player who has not played since an Eagles wild-card loss — would be unexpected. The Jets offered Reddick multiple deals that sweetened his 2024 salary, but in viewing the team has having reneged on a pledge to conduct true extension talks, the D-end stayed away from the team for months.
The Lions have already paid Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell, David Montgomery and McNeill this year. Would they be willing to fit in a Reddick payment if it meant a better chance at the first Super Bowl berth in team history?
Jets Work Out Riley Patterson, Cade York
Greg Zuerlein‘s third Jets season has not started off well. Albeit in suboptimal conditions, Zuerlein combined to miss three field goals in home losses to the Broncos and Bills. As a result, the Jets are looking into other options.
Riley Patterson, Cade York and Matt Coghlin worked out for the team today, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. Zuerlein is 8-for-12 this season, missing one of his two kicks Monday night from inside 40 yards. Zuerlein previously missed a game-winning 50-yarder in the rain against the Broncos.
The Jets re-signed Zuerlein in March, agreeing to a two-year, $8.4MM deal. That contract included $4.2MM guaranteed and included three void years for cap purposes. While the Jets would eat more than $2MM in dead money by moving on from the established option, they have certainly attempted to shake things up as of late. No signings have been made, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo, but Zuerlein may be running out of time to bounce back.
Robert Saleh is out, while Nathaniel Hackett has been demoted. Todd Downing is in the play-calling role, and Davante Adams is set to debut for the team in Week 7. Mike Williams is on the trade block. The Jets have not tampered with their special teams core just yet, but Zuerlein is clearly on notice.
A Division II success story known as one of the NFL’s strongest-legged kickers, the 37-year-old specialist has never been cut in-season. The Cowboys did release him after the 2021 campaign, however. Zuerlein made 35 of 38 field goals in his second Jets season — including a 5-for-6 connect rate from 50-plus yards — to lead to the two-year contract, but he may be kicking for his job soon.
Patterson entered training camp as the Commanders’ kicker, having been claimed following a Jaguars cut, but did not make it to the regular season in that role. York came in via trade as a replacement for Patterson, who struggled during the preseason.
Split between Detroit and Cleveland, Patterson went 16-for-18 on field goals last season; he made 30 of 35 tries as the Jaguars’ kicker in 2022. A 2022 Browns draftee, York has kicked in one game over the past two seasons. It did not go well. York did not make it to Week 2 in the Commanders role, being waived after missing two kicks in a season-opening loss. Coghlin spent six years at Michigan State but has yet to kick in an NFL game; the 49ers worked him out last week before signing Matthew Wright.
Davante Adams Fallout: Jets, Raiders, Johnson, Davis, Rodgers
The Jets‘ 23-20 loss may have felt like the catalyst for their long-awaited acquisition of Davante Adams, but the trade was “essentially in place before kickoff” on Monday night, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
It would have been odd if Jets general manager Joe Douglas watched Allen Lazard and Garrett Wilson combine for 14 catches, 221 yards, and two touchdowns against the Bills and immediately thought he needed to upgrade his wide receiver corps. Lazard’s five touchdowns are tied for first in the NFL, while Wilson ranks second with 41 receptions on a league-high 67 targets. But the Jets have been interested in Adams dating back to last season, where they attempted to acquire him at the deadline for a higher price than they ultimately paid this year. Rather than add depth to fill out the wideout room, they added to the top of the rotation, which will likely squeeze Lazard back into a tertiary role, though Aaron Rodgers will still look for his 6-foot-5 frame in the red zone.
The Adams trade has reverberations down the depth chart, with Mike Williams already on the trade block. The Jets have also rarely played third-round rookie Malachi Corley, but the presence of a veteran mentor like Adams may help the rookie shore up the receiving fundamentals required to see the field in the NFL.
Here is the rest of the fallout from the Adams trade:
- With the deal all but confirmed, Adams flew from Las Vegas to New Jersey on Monday night, arriving at the Jets’ facility on Tuesday morning to get a physical examination and meet his new team, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
- Provided his hamstring checks out, Adams should be able to quickly acclimate to a familiar Nathaniel Hackett offense (albeit one now featuring QBs coach Todd Downing calling plays) in New York in time to make his Jets debut in primetime on Sunday night against the Steelers, according to Connor Hughes of SNY. Pittsburgh was constantly mentioned in wide receiver trade talks this year – first with Brandon Aiyuk, then with Adams – but instead, the AFC North team will have to face the All-Pro in his new home.
- Adams was one of the leaders in the Raiders‘ locker room coming into the season, but the drama surrounding his discontent and eventual trade request made his teammates “ready to move on,” according to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur.
- Raiders owner Mark Davis consulted with head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco but left the ultimate decision up to them, per The Athletic’s Diana Russini. Davis had been reluctant to deal Adams dating back to last trade deadline, when he turned down a bigger package from New York, but recognized it was time to move on less than a year later.
- Jets owner Woody Johnson admitted the obvious while at the NFL owners’ meeting in Atlanta: Adams’ relationship with Rodgers was a key factor in bringing the wideout to New York. That connection will also help Adams slide into a major role in the Jets offense right away, joining Wilson to become one of the deadliest receiver duos in the league.
- Johnson also said that “thinking is overrated” when asked for his perspective on the Jets’ championship hopes after a 2-4 start, according to Russini. The Jets will attempt to prove skeptics wrong by rebounding from a three-game losing streak, one that has the futures of some of their key principals up in the air. With Adams soon to debut for his third NFL team, it will be worth monitoring Rodgers’ thoughts on playing beyond 2024. Past Rodgers indecision has affected Adams’ choices in the past, and a recent report suggested the All-Pro wideout was leery of the QB’s future in New York. But the Jets now have Adams’ through-2026 contract, giving Rodgers more incentive to stick around.
Jets Acquire Davante Adams From Raiders
Davante Adams is indeed set to be traded, and he is headed to his preferred destination. The Jets are finalizing a deal to acquire Adams from the Raiders, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. 
The swap will see Vegas receive a conditional 2025 third-round pick from New York, Rapoport’s colleague Tom Pelissero adds. That pick can become a second-rounder based on Adams’ performance with his new team. Crucially. Pelissero also notes the Jets will take on the remainder of Adams’ 2024 salary. Depending on how he fares with his new team, then, the Raiders could wind up meeting their goal of landing a second-rounder in addition to not retaining any of his salary to facilitate a trade.
[RELATED: Jets Shopping WR Mike Williams]
Providing specifics on the conditional pick, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the selection will upgrade to a second-rounder if either of two circumstances are met. Adams must earn a first- or second-team All-Pro selection, or he must be on the Jets’ active roster for the AFC title game or Super Bowl. Those thresholds certainly make it likely the pick will wind up as a third-rounder, something SI’s Albert Breer recently speculated represented a cost the Raiders would ultimately be willing to accept.
Once it became known the Raiders were gauging the market on an Adams trade (something the 31-year-old preferred to staying put), the Jets emerged as the likeliest destination. After Adams openly remarked about the potential of reuniting with Aaron Rodgers – something the four-time MVP reciprocated – it came as no surprise to learn the Jets were his top target. Now, the two will in fact resume playing with each other after their successful eight-year run in Green Bay.
A number suitors were in the mix with respect to showing interest, but Vegas remained insistent on landing a second-round pick in any Adams deal. Many contenders saw that price as being too steep, and the Jets and Saints held an advantage in terms of providing Adams with a familiar quarterback (Rodgers or Derek Carr, in the case of New Orleans). Recently, those two teams appeared to be the strongest suitors with the Jets in particular acting aggressively to get a deal done. The team sits at 2-4 with a new head coach and offensive play-caller in place, but Adams could spark a midseason turnaround.
The Jets entered Tuesday with just over $17MM in cap space, a larger figure than many of the other teams interested in acquiring the three-time All-Pro. Since Vegas will not retain any salary, New York will be on the hook for $11.59MM this season (the prorated remainder of Adams’ 2024 salary). Two more years remain on his pact, but no guarantees are in place. Working out a new agreement will be key in this situation, and having Adams as more than a short-term rental would help justify the trade cost to add him. Adams has reportedly expressed concern about Rodgers’ post-2024 future with the Jets, however.
Nevertheless, an organization which just fired head coach Robert Saleh and demoted offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett is now making another aggressive move aimed at success this season. The 2024 Jets are the first team led by Rodgers to have a losing record through six weeks. A postseason berth remains the goal, though, and Adams could aid an offense which sits 22nd in scoring. Of course, this move also marks the latest the Jets have undertaken which involves bringing in familiar faces to Rodgers on the field and the sidelines while trying to maximize the remainder of his career.
Adams will now join Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard at the receiver spot with New York. Speculation has increased in the wake of today’s deal that Mike Williams – signed to a one-year deal in free agency – could now be on the move to avoid a logjam at the top of the depth chart and move some money out to compensate for Adams’ arrival. In any case, expectations will increase for better efficiency through the air moving forward. 
For the 2-4 Raiders, this move brings an end to a situation between Adams and head coach Antonio Pierce which was marked by a recent increase in tension. As veteran insider Josina Anderson notes, Pierce feels this move is best for all involved. Vegas – a team which is now increasingly short on playmakers and turned to Aidan O’Connell at quarterback for Week 6 – will take on $13.67MM in dead money this year and $15.7MM in 2025 (h/t Spotrac).
With five 1,100-yard campaigns to his name (including both of his full Raiders seasons), Adams will be expected to provide a major boost to the Jets’ offense upon reuniting with Rodgers. If that proves to be the case, the team – which may soon offload edge rusher Haason Reddick and end his holdout in the process – could become a contender for at least an AFC postseason spot. Ending the Jets’ 13-year playoff drought would mark a key success for the team, and it would no doubt quell doubts about general manager Joe Douglas’ job security.
A hamstring injury has kept Adams out of action for the past three weeks, but multiple reports note he is currently at the Jets’ facility undergoing a physical. Once that takes place, this trade can be made official and bring a notable but expected end to the Adams situation. How it affects other receiver deals ahead of the deadline will be interesting to monitor.
Jets Place S Chuck Clark On IR
Jets safety Chuck Clark‘s troubles staying on the field since leaving Baltimore have continued into this year. The former Ravens strong safety only missed two games over the first six years of his career in Baltimore, but since being traded to New York, he is on track to have missed at least 21 games. He missed all 17 games of the 2023 NFL season with a torn ACL, and now, Clark is set to miss at least four more after being placed on injured reserve today, per Jets team reporter Ethan Greenberg. 
Clark missed the entirety of his only season under contract with New York, but the Jets elected to keep him around, re-signing he and fellow free agent Ashtyn Davis while watching Jordan Whitehead walk in free agency. The Jets held an offseason competition for the starting two jobs between Clark, Davis, and Tony Adams after Adams and Whitehead started most of last year. Clark ended up beating out Davis to start the first six games of the season alongside Adams, with Davis getting playing time here and there off the bench.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network pinpointed the sidelining injury as a high-ankle sprain suffered in last night’s loss to the Bills. A minimal four-game absence would see Clark returning to the field on November 17 for a Sunday night matchup against the Colts. If Clark isn’t quite ready to return at that point in the season, an additional two weeks would be available for recovery as the Jets’ bye week falls right after the Week 11 contest versus Indianapolis.
With Clark sidelined, the Jets are fortunate to have the safety depth from their position competition this offseason. Davis will be the obvious choice to step in as the new starter in Clark’s absence. The team also rosters veteran Jalen Mills, who has several seasons of starting experience from his time with the Eagles and Patriots.
Jets Grant Haason Reddick Permission To Seek Trade
1:07pm: Woody Johnson confirmed Reddick has permission to find a trade partner, but the longtime Jets owner said (via the Washington Post’s Mark Maske) he hopes Rosenhaus can convince the talented edge rusher to reconcile with the Jets. Upon firing Robert Saleh, Johnson had pushed for the trade acquisition-turned-holdout to join the team. Though, today’s events look to make that prospect a bit harder to envision.
8:07am: A change in representation has yielded yet another turn of events in the case of Jets edge rusher Haason Reddick. The team has allowed new agent Drew Rosenhaus permission to find a trade partner, as first reported by The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. 
CAA dropped Reddick as a client last week, but he quickly managed to find new agents in the form of Rosenhaus and Ryan Matha. Rosenhaus spoke with the Jets during last night’s game as all parties sought to find a resolution which would end the two-time Pro Bowler’s holdout. Russni reports a small window of time has now been granted by the team for a trade partner to be found, however. Rosenhaus has begun reaching out to potential suitors to gauge Reddick’s market.
Aside from an introductory press conference in April, the 30-year-old has remained absent from the Jets since he was acquired via trade. The Jets made an initial offer on a new deal around the time of the trade, but throughout the rest of the offseason they remained insistent that talks on an extension or a revised deal would only take place once Reddick reported to the team. That has still not taken place, with the former Cardinal, Panther and Eagle accumulating millions in financial penalties. A new offer was made shortly after the regular season started, but Reddick rejected it as well.
One year remains on the former first-rounder’s current deal, which calls for a non-guaranteed base salary of $14.25MM. Reddick’s earning potential is much lower than that considering the penalties he racked up during the summer along with the game checks he continues to miss out on. To little surprise, Jets general manager Joe Douglas and Co. are not prepared to authorize a long-term agreement in this case. Given today’s update, though, it very much remains to be seen if any kind of resolution can be reached which sees Reddick play at all for the Jets.
In August, a lack of progress on negotiations with the Jets prompted Reddick to request a trade. Douglas immediately shot down consideration of moving him shortly after his acquisition, though. Since permission has in fact now been granted on the trade front, it is safe to assume talks with Rosenhaus did not yield much in the way of traction last night. A swap would mark an interesting end to this saga, but it would obviously be an unwanted conclusion from New York’s perspective.
Once the Eagles made it known they would not make a new contractual commitment to Reddick, they worked out the trade with the Jets. That deal yielded a conditional 2026 third-round pick, but another selection (a 2026 second-rounder) could also be in play. The latter pick has conditions based on where Reddick winds up if he does indeed get dealt to a new team. By rule, Philadelphia cannot re-acquire him.
Three weeks remain until the trade deadline, and any number of teams could show interest in adding Reddick (at a fraction of the cost the Jets paid to get him, no doubt). The Lions lost Aidan Hutchinson for the season on Sunday, thinning their edge rush after Marcus Davenport also suffered a season-ending injury. It will be interesting to see if Detroit inquires about a deal. To accrue a year of service team – and thus remain on course for free agency this spring – Reddick must report to the Jets (or his next team) by Week 13.