It took some time, but a reunion is finally happening in New York. On Tuesday, the news became official that Davante Adams, who had requested a trade from the Las Vegas Raiders, was joining the Jets and his former quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
On Wednesday, interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said that Adams is expected to play Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Adams has missed the past three games with a hamstring injury.
"Fortunately I'll be ready to roll," Adams said on "The Pat McFee Show" after making an appearance during Rodgers' interview. "I'm sure there's a few new little nuances, but for the most part, a lot of the same verbiage, still the same OG right here," Adams said, pointing to his quarterback. "So we should be able to pick up where we left off, that's the idea."
Rodgers and Adams were together on the Green Bay Packers from 2014 to 2021 before Adams was traded to the Raiders. Rodgers, who hasn't looked like his old self, with the exception of Monday night's wild Hail Mary, is no doubt happy to have a familiar face on an offense that could use a boost.
Adams has had 622 catches for 7,590 yards and has scored 69 touchdowns in 108 games with Rodgers in his career, and he will look to add to that next week when the Jets take on the Steelers on 'Sunday Night Football." From 2017 to 2021, Adams and Rodgers were the No. 1 duo in the NFL with 52 touchdowns. And across his last two seasons in Green Bay, Adams led the league with 141 receptions for 1,800 yards against man coverage.
During an appearance on "The Pat McFee Show," the 40-year-old Rodgers spoke about what it means to have a top wide receiver he has chemistry with (in yet another instance where Rodgers got the guy he wanted).
"Obviously I'm really excited. Love [Davante], he's a phenomenal player and a dear friend," the future Hall of Famer began.
He then dove into last night's game against the Buffalo Bills, a close loss against a divisional opponent that saw many missteps from the Jets, from penalties to an interception and hard hits to the aging QB.
"It was a crappy day yesterday obviously," Rodgers explained, as his team sits at 2-4. "We had a real good chance to get to 3-3 and win a home game, kinda gave that one away. I was pissed driving home through traffic had a couple messages, I was just not in the mood to talk to anybody. Got home and [Davante] had called me and texted me, so I finally called him back. So about 12:30/12:45 last night I heard the news."
When asked if this will switch the offense immediately into the next gear, or if that's a dumb way to view the acquisition, Rodgers said with a smile, "I think that's a dumb way to view the acquisition." He noted that there's a lot the team needs to do to win games and that adding Adams doesn't mean an automatic victory.
That said, Rodgers had high praise for his former-turned-current teammate, saying Adams will make an impact the moment he arrives.
"He infuses a lot of energy into the team right away. He's a proven star player. He's an asset. He's an incredible locker room presence."
With wide receiver Garrett Wilson getting the majority of the attention in the passing game, he will now see some relief, something Rodgers feels will make a big impact.
"I think it's really going to help Garrett [Wilson] out," he said. "I think when you're able to be around a guy who's done it at a high level for a long time and see how he goes about his process, through osmosis [there's] going to be a lot of things that he'll be able to pick up. And I think Garrett the last two weeks has played really good."
Rodgers explained how the offense performed better against the Bills than they have previously, but it still struggled in the red zone and with missed opportunities. The Jets' hope is that adding Adams can eliminate some of those issues.
"It's definitely adding a lot to our team … and now this move lets everybody know, 'Hey it's on us now, because we're going all in and it's our time to go out there and win games, get on a run,' which we all feel deep down is going to happen," Rodgers said.
The quarterback noted that the firing of head coach Robert Saleh can take some energy out of a locker room, with players left with questions, but that a move like this reinfuses that energy.
The show then got a surprise appearance from Adams himself, who popped onto the screen to express his excitement about the trade.
"We're back baby, we're back," Adams said, adding that he's feeling great after missing multiple games with a hamstring injury.
In return for Adams, the Raiders received a conditional third-round pick that can become a second-round pick if the wide receiver makes first- or second-team All-Pro, or if he's on the active roster for the AFC Championship or Super Bowl, according to ESPN.