The experiment is dead. If you’ve been following the NFL for more than five minutes, you know that when the New York Jets decide to go "all in," it usually ends with a spectacular, fiery crash. That's exactly what happened here. The Jets released Davante Adams on March 4, 2025, just months after a midseason trade that was supposed to save a season. It didn't. Instead, it became another chapter in a long book of "what ifs" for a franchise that seems allergic to stability.
Honestly, the fallout is still being felt today in 2026.
Why the Jets release Davante Adams move was inevitable
Money talks. Actually, in the NFL, it screams. When the Jets acquired Adams from the Raiders in late 2024, they knew his contract was a ticking time bomb. He was scheduled to make roughly $35.64 million in non-guaranteed money for both 2025 and 2026. You don't pay that kind of cash to a 32-year-old receiver when your quarterback situation is a mess and you're winning five games a year.
By cutting him, the Jets saved a staggering $29.9 million in cap space. It was a business decision, plain and simple.
The "Rodgers-Adams reunion" lasted exactly 11 games. In those games, Adams actually played well. He caught 67 passes for 854 yards and seven touchdowns. Those are "WR1" numbers. But the Jets, being the Jets, still managed to go 5-12 in 2024. When the new regime—General Manager Darren Mougey and Coach Aaron Glenn—took over, they looked at the roster and saw a bunch of expensive veterans with ties to a quarterback they were also moving on from.
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They decided to burn it down.
The cap space reality check
- Total Savings: $29.9 million
- Dead Cap Hit: $8.3 million
- Games Played: 11
- Final Result: A 3rd-round pick wasted for a half-season of production.
Where is Davante Adams now?
If you're wondering if he's still a top-tier threat, just look at the Los Angeles Rams. After being released by New York, Adams signed a two-year, $44 million deal to return to his home state of California. It has been a massive success. While the Jets are currently looking at the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 draft and debating between Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore, Adams is preparing for a Divisional Round playoff game against the Chicago Bears.
He isn't just a veteran presence in LA; he’s leading the league in touchdowns.
Earlier this month, Adams didn't hold back when talking about his time in New Jersey. During a Wild Card pregame show on Fox, he told teammate Puka Nacua that in the playoffs, you have to be at your best, or "you’re gonna be at home with the Jets two seconds after that." It was a brutal, unprompted jab that went viral instantly.
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The Garrett Wilson impact
One of the biggest misconceptions about the Jets release Davante Adams situation is that it was purely about the money. It was also about Garrett Wilson. While Adams was in town, Wilson’s role felt... weird. He still got his yards, but the chemistry with Aaron Rodgers was never quite as natural as the Rodgers-Adams connection.
Moving on from Adams was a vote of confidence in Wilson.
The Jets needed to know if Wilson could be the undisputed alpha without a future Hall of Famer taking away his targets. Since Adams left, Wilson has remained the clear No. 1, though he's had to catch passes from the likes of Justin Fields and Brady Cook. It hasn’t been easy.
What most people get wrong about the release
Most fans think Adams "failed" in New York. That’s just not true. He was arguably the only consistent thing on that offense besides Breece Hall. The failure was the organizational belief that one receiver could fix a broken culture and an aging, immobile quarterback.
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The Jets didn't release him because he lost a step. They released him because they were a sinking ship and he was the most expensive piece of furniture on the deck.
Lessons for the 2026 offseason
- Don't chase ghosts: Reunited stars rarely recapture the magic they had five years ago.
- Cap flexibility is king: The $29.9M the Jets saved is why they were able to even think about signing Justin Fields.
- The "win now" window is a lie: If your "win now" window depends on a 40-year-old QB and a 32-year-old WR, the window is already closed.
Moving forward in New York
If you're a Jets fan, the next few months are critical. The team has the cap space and the draft capital to actually build something that doesn't rely on 2016-era nostalgia. They need to hit on this No. 2 pick. If they draft Mendoza or Moore and provide them with a legitimate offensive line, the Adams era will just be a weird trivia question in a few years.
For now, the focus is on the draft and finding someone—anyone—who can consistently throw the ball to Garrett Wilson. The "star-chasing" era is over. Now, the "actual building" era has to begin.
Actionable Insights for NFL Fans:
- Watch the Rams vs. Bears game this weekend to see how Sean McVay uses Adams differently than the Jets did.
- Keep an eye on the $10 million guarantee for Justin Fields; if the Jets cut him before the league year starts, it signals a total commitment to a rookie QB.
- Monitor Garrett Wilson’s contract extension talks; with Adams' money off the books, Wilson is the next big payday on the horizon.