The New York Jets are kicking future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the curb.
New Jets regime of head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey informed Rodgers last week that they will be letting him go this offseason. Naturally, all eyes now shift to three-time All-Pro Jets wide receiver Davante Adams, the player who has caught more touchdown passes from Rodgers (75) than anyone else in the Hall of Fame quarterback's career. Adams, who is 32 years old, doesn't have any guaranteed money remaining in the final two seasons of his five-year, $140 million contract in 2025 and 2026. That means he's very moveable because Adams, like most NFL players, would likely sign a redone deal with guaranteed money attached.
So where could the rebuilding Jets ship the six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver? Here are five possible landing spots.
Potential landing spots
Green Bay Packers
There's been a public effort by the faces of the Packers to recruit Adams to return home to Green Bay. Packers All-Pro safety Xavier McKinney tweeted ""Mannnnnnnnnn pull back up!" while tagging Adams' account directly after he spoke about Green Bay's potential desire to add a veteran receiver in the offseason on the "Up and Adams" show with Kay Adams. Adams himself highlighted a veteran wide receiver as one of Green Bay's areas of need with the franchise fielding the youngest team in the NFL in both 2023 and 2024. Adams pointed out that wide receivers Romeo Doubs (suffered multiple head injuries, including one known concussion) and Christian Watson (torn ACL) are question marks in terms of health entering the 2025 season.
"You've got to see what's up with Doubs and Christian. Obviously Romeo having a few plays this year where he ended up a little banged up and hit his head on the ground, you never know. It's kind of that Tua situation where it could be a week, or it can extend out longer than that. We'll see. I'm praying for him either way," Adams said on the "Up and Adams" show.
"It kind of depends on the health of the team. It's looking right now like obviously they might need some receiver help in one way or the other just based off what they have available. ... Maybe a veteran or something in there, we'll see."
Packers Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs echoed the sentiment multiple times that Green Bay needs a veteran wide receiver on Radio Row at the Super Bowl in New Orleans. When quarterback Jordan Love was directly asked on the "Up and Adams" show about Adams, Love, who sat on the bench for the final two years of Adams' Packers tenure, said he wouldn't be mad at a Green Bay reunion.
"I'm not mad about it," Love said. "Davante, that's my guy. Obviously, I was with him for a good amount of time there in Green Bay my first couple seasons. I know exactly what type of player his. Phenomenal guy. ... Just a great guy. You see it every week, the playmaking ability that he has. When I was with him, he dropped three passes in the years I saw him, so he is just a phenomenal receiver. Creates so much separation off the line, and then that's his game. Killing guys off the line and making crazy catches and making big time plays. He's a phenomenal receiver."
This move makes a lot of sense. The Packers young receivers can learn a thing or two from one of the NFL's most precise route runners, and Love gets a go-to target in crucial third-down and red zone situations.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers were in hot pursuit of San Francisco wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk last offseason before he re-signed with the 49ers on a four-year, $120 million extension just before the start of the 2024 regular season. Van Jefferson wasn't able to provide nearly enough veteran juice alongside youngsters in George Pickens and Calvin Austin this past season. Adams could help Pickens get his head on straight while teaching both him and Austin some finer points on route-running. Adams could also serve as a safety blanket for whoever the Steelers move forward with as their quarterback in 2025, perhaps Rodgers, with both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields set to become free agents.
Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders' two non-Terry McLaurin starting wide receivers -- Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus -- are free agents this offseason. Washington is also equipped to enter the 2025 offseason with the third-most effective cap space in the NFL -- $68.86 million, per OverTheCap.com. That gives them plenty of resources to utilize after quarterback Jayden Daniels' 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year of season, a year in which Daniels set the NFL rookie records for completion percentage (69%) and rushing yards (891).
Washington was a few pieces short of reaching the Super Bowl in the first season of Daniels' career, falling against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game. Adams could provide the Commanders young quarterback another Pro Bowl-caliber option alongside McLaurin.
Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix and Daniels are the only rookies in NFL history with at least 10 wins (10), 30 total touchdowns (34) and 4,000 total yards (4,207). Nix's 29 passing touchdowns are the second-most in league history by a rookie, trailing only Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert's 31 from the 2020 season. Head coach Sean Payton has his guy at the quarterback position, so maybe he looks to supply Nix with more firepower.
Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles returned to the playoffs in the first season under head coach Jim Harbaugh with an 11-6 record before faceplanting 32-12 in the opening round against the Houston Texans. Quarterback Justin Herbert threw a career-high four interceptions as the Texans secondary blanketed his receivers. The Chargers have two young wide receivers in 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston and 2024 second-round pick Ladd McConkey, but they could use a veteran, Pro Bowl-caliber option to complement the two youngsters. Los Angeles also possesses the sixth-most effective cap space in the NFL entering the offseason with $55.2 million to play with, according to OverTheCap.com. They have the room to get a redone contract done with Adams.