If Joe Douglas had his way, Davante Adams would be suiting up for the Jets against his former team on Sunday night.
Douglas has learned that you can't always get what you want in the NFL, however, and instead New York's mission will be slowing Adams down at all costs in a pivotal prime-time game for both teams.
Adams has been connected to the Jets since New York went out and acquired his former teammate Aaron Rodgers in April. The Raiders showed no interest in dealing Adams in the offseason, but struggles leading up to the trade deadline and public frustration from Adams himself led to speculation that a deal could still be on the table.
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Just how close did the Jets come to landing Adams? Here's what you need to know about the Raiders' decision to hold onto their star at the deadline.
Why didn't the Raiders trade Davante Adams?
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Jets reached out to the Raiders to explore a trade for Adams before the Oct. 31 deadline but were rebuffed. Schefter reported that the Jets "debated, discussed and planned for" a push to acquire Adams throughout the summer and waited for the right time to engage.
Interestingly, it was then-Raiders GM Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels who made the decision to hold onto Adams. A mere nine hours after the deadline passed, they were both fired by owner Mark Davis.
There is no indication the Adams decision had anything to do with the firings, but it makes some sense that Ziegler and McDaniels wanted to retain the team's best offensive weapon. If both were concerned about their job security, it wouldn't be prudent to lessen the Raiders' chances of success down the stretch.
Nonetheless, both Ziegler and McDaniels were gone by the next morning, a decision Adams seemed to support.
"It's going to be better now," the six-time Pro-Bowler told a referee at a college basketball game the day after the Raiders' 30-6 win over the Giants in Week 9. Adams also defended his teammates after they lit cigars following the win, saying anyone who knew the "adversity" the team went through would understand the celebration.
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While Adams might have welcomed the opportunity to play with Aaron Rodgers in 2024 and still could, he has a chance to pull the Raiders ahead of the Jets in the AFC standings with a win on Sunday night. For now, his quarterback is rookie Aidan O'Connell, someone Adams labeled "focused" and "impressive" in comments this week.
Davante Adams contract
Adams is under contract through 2026, so if he joins a new team in the offseason, it won't be via free agency. The star receiver signed a new five-year, $140 million deal when he was traded to the Raiders in 2022.
Las Vegas has a potential out in Adams' contract after the 2024 season, according to Spotrac, and it's not inconceivable that the out could be used considering Adams is due to cost $44 million against the cap in both 2025 and 2026. He also would be entering his age-32 season in 2025.
At this stage, though, Adams remains one of the NFL's most dynamic receivers, and a lack of guaranteed money on his contract past 2024 could give any potential suitors some peace of mind when weighing a trade for the star this offseason.
