The New York Jets have officially released Davante Adams, per multiple reports on Tuesday, just two days after it was revealed that the team was taking trade calls on him.
Gang Green traded for Adams five months ago, reuniting him with his long-time quarterback from the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers, in an attempt to save the Jets’ sputtering season. Former general manager Joe Douglas had contact with the Las Vegas Raiders on a deal for the 32-year-old, but nothing materialized until Oct. 15.
However, the season went from bad to worse, as Adams’ 67 catches for 854 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games could not fix a 5-12 season that included the mid-season firings of Douglas and ex-head coach Robert Saleh.
The new regime of head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey is moving in a different direction. Last month, they cut ties with Rodgers before eventually showing the door to Adams. It was always unlikely that the Jets were going to find a trade partner to take on Adams’ contract, which would have provided a cap hit of roughly $38 million.
Cutting the veteran wide receiver with a pre-June 1 designation saves the team $29.9 million in 2025. This move allows New York to make more moves in free agency to help improve a roster that may not be as far away from competing as some think.
Gang Green will have to address the wide receiver position, considering they gave Allen Lazard the go-ahead to seek a trade. If he can’t find a trade pattern, the Jets are open to keeping him for the upcoming season.
Lazard is set to make $13.18 million this season, and cutting him will cause a dead cap hit of $6.55 million. After releasing Adams, the Jets have $44.57 million in cap space. If Lazard is released as well, it’ll free up an additional $5.79 million, bringing that 2025 number to $50.36 million, according to Spotrac.
