NFL News: New York Jets fail to reunite Rodgers-Adams duo

The New York Jets had tried to reunite their quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his former teammate Davante Adams before the NFL trade deadline. The Jets reached out to the Las Vegas Raiders, for which Adams is playing right now. But the Raiders turned down the Jets’ trade offer to give up the six-time Pro-Bowler.

The timing of recent internal events in Las Vegas might have led to the unsuccessful attempt to reunite Rodgers and Adams. Just after the trade deadline on Tuesday afternoon, head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler were relieved of their duty. Both are responsible for the decision.

“We made a lot of calls on a lot of different positions,” the Jets general manager Joe Douglas said. “But it takes two to tango. We made a lot of calls, but we didn’t get a lot of deals done.”

Unsuccessful to acquire Adams, the Jets will face him in approximately a week instead. The NFL has chosen not to reschedule the prime-time Jets-Raiders game on November 12.

Remarkable chemistry

Many NFL fans have long hoped for the reunion, as Rodgers claimed that he and Adams “miss each other a lot.” The two had remarkable chemistry during their time together in the Green Bay Packers from 2014 to 2021 and were even considered some of the best quarterback-wide receiver duos of all time.

A year before Rodgers left Wisconsin, Green Bay traded Adams to the Raiders, where he reunited with his college quarterback, Derek Carr. Unfortunately, Adams’ stint in Las Vegas did not go as planned.

Carr departed to join the New Orleans Saints, and the current season proved to be disappointing, leading to the firing of the head coach and general manager after a loss that dropped the team to a 3-5 record.

As it stands, if Rodgers returns for this season, he will not have a weapon of Adams’ caliber to complement Garrett Wilson.

The Jets had the opportunity to make these inquiries due to Rodgers’ decision to give back $35 million last summer. This reduced his two-year deal from $110 million to $75 million.

During the summer, while facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a scrimmage, the Jets also asked about the availability of star receiver Mike Evans. However, league sources said that the Buccaneers had no intention of trading him.

Raiders need change

Adams, visibly dissatisfied with his team’s 26-14 loss to the Detroit Lions, expressed on Thursday that it was time for the Raiders to instigate “some form of change.” He also emphasized his commitment to making things work and doing everything in his power to keep the situation moving forward.

An ESPN source from the league suggested that it would be intriguing to contemplate the potential outcomes if Raiders owner Mark Davis had promptly dismissed McDaniels and Ziegler right after the Monday night loss, initiating a cascade of changes before the 4 p.m. ET Tuesday trade deadline, rather than afterward.

In a recent appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” last Tuesday, Rodgers dropped hints about the possibility of significant moves before the deadline. This signaled his awareness of the Jets’ intentions, which the Raiders ultimately rejected.

Following their sole move on Tuesday, signing former Pro Bowl guard Rodger Saffold, the Jets may now contemplate what could have been if they had managed to enhance their offense significantly.