Jets Abruptly Cut $140 Million 3-Time All-Pro After Failing to Find Trade

The Davante Adams era is over with the New York Jets.

Davante Adams, Jets

ESPN’s Rich Cimini confirmed that the team released the star wideout on Tuesday, March 4.

This move creates $29.9 million in cap space, Cimini revealed.

And just like that, the Jets get $29.9M in cap room. Free agency, here they come. https://t.co/0xVIT6yPdA

— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) March 4, 2025

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Adams had two years left on the $140 million contract he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. However, his deal included no more guaranteed money.

Jets Tried Trading Adams but They Didn’t Find Any Takers

Gang Green traded for Adams in a deal with the Raiders following their Week 6 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football.

The Jets gave up a conditional 2025 third-round pick. If Adams had been named an All-Pro or the team had made it to the AFC Championship game or Super Bowl that pick would have become a second-rounder.

Safe to say neither of those things happened.

Months later the Jets were unable to find a team willing to give up anything to acquire Adams. The final two years of Adams’ contract featured $35 million cap hits. In other words, Adams would have had to restructure his deal to make a trade work. That didn’t happen so the Jets were forced to release him.

Adams, 32, appeared in 14 games this past season, 11 of which came on the Jets. He finished with 85 receptions for 1,063 receiving yards and eight touchdowns with both the Raiders and Jets combined.

The Next Destination for Adams…

There are two clear options for Adams now that he is an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his NFL career.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport said there has been an assumption that Adams will simply follow Aaron Rodgers wherever he goes.

The Jets are expected to officially cut bait with Rodgers on March 12 at 4 pm when the new league year kicks off.

However, there is one other option that Adams could consider according to Rapoport, “the pull of being on the West Coast is very real.”

While the assumption has been that Davante Adams wants to play with Aaron Rodgers (and historically, that’s been the plan), my understanding is the pull of being on the West Coast is very real. https://t.co/FpUrl43vPh

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 4, 2025

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Adams has a home out on the west coast.

Brian Costello of the New York Post joined me on “Boy Green Daily” during the NFL Combine. During our conversation, he revealed that Adams’ market might not be as robust as some people think.

He explained to me that it is rare for a player to get cut by one team and then immediately garner a ton of interest from other teams.

Adams is a three-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler. However the last couple of years have been an interesting path for the star wide receiver.

“Davante Adams:

traded for a 1st & 2nd in 2022

traded for a 3rd in 2024

cut in 2025,” NFL analyst Warren Sharp said on social media.