"It's interesting the amount of power that people think that I have, which I don't."
Those words, muttered by Aaron Rodgers, came one day after the New York Jets fired their head coach, Robert Saleh, just five games into the 2024 NFL season. They came in response to speculation Rodgers, the prized former MVP who was supposed to catapult Saleh's team to the promised land, had a hand in the abrupt decision. They just as well could've been muttered on Tuesday, when the Jets, fresh off a prime-time loss to the rival Buffalo Bills to fall to 2-4, forfeited what could be a future second-round draft pick to reunite Rodgers with his most trusted ally from his Green Bay Packers prime: Davante Adams.
No one is surprised by the move. Adams and Rodgers have taken turns simultaneously squashing and entertaining the possibility of a reunion ever since their fateful split in 2022, when Adams preferred to cash in closer to his West Coast roots, and Rodgers was already preparing for his own Midwestern exit. Yet the fact it's finally happened -- the actualization of an inevitable dream -- underscores the current M.O. of the New York Jets: Win now, at all costs. And, even more so, cede all control to Aaron Rodgers.
Let's be clear: The investment in Adams is reasonable. Even going on 32, the wide receiver remains one of the game's most reliable playmakers. He's decently priced for the rest of this year. The Jets have already prioritized short-term success by building around a 40-year-old quarterback. Throwing away one more draft pick for a No. 1 receiver who has proven chemistry with a signal-caller who's struggled to get the team's other wideouts up to speed brings mild risk but great upside. It's fine. It's fun. It's fair.
Still, Adams' last-gasp addition continues a not-subtle trend of catering to Rodgers' particular wants:
- January 2023: Jets hire Nathaniel Hackett, Rodgers' former Packers offensive coordinator, for the same job in New York, one year after he lasted just 15 games as Denver Broncos head coach.
- March 2023: Jets sign wide receiver Allen Lazard, Rodgers' former Packers teammate, to a four-year, $44 million contract in free agency.
- April 2023: Jets sign quarterback Tim Boyle, Rodgers' former backup in Green Bay.
- May 2023: Jets sign wide receiver Randall Cobb and offensive tackle Billy Turner, both former Packers teammates of Rodgers.
- February 2024: Jets retain Hackett and promote assistant Todd Downing after reportedly trying unsuccessfully to hire a new offensive play-caller.
None of the roster decisions have been singularly crippling moves, though Boyle, since replaced, now serves as a bitter reminder of New York's lack of 2023 quarterback insurance once Rodgers was lost for the season due to a torn Achilles. It's also not unusual for players or coaches to seek familiarity in the NFL. New hires often rely on past relationships to buoy transitions. Certainly if you're going all in on an aging quarterback, you want to make him as comfortable as possible. And Rodgers hasn't been cold-blooded here; the former NFL MVP took a below-market contract to facilitate his arrival.
All that said, with Adams the latest and biggest Rodgers-endorsed acquisition to join the fold, there is danger in trying to simply recreate the nostalgic fantasy of Rodgers' heyday rather than build things organically. A few teams have "bought" championships by way of aging star power in recent years; think the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Tom Brady, and the Los Angeles Rams with Matthew Stafford. Neither of those quarterbacks tore his Achilles four snaps into his debut, however, and even their contenders necessitated almost-instant rebuilds after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
"Thinking is overrated," team owner Woody Johnson said Tuesday, when asked about trading for Adams while sporting a losing record. "A lot of times ... you just have to go with your instinct."
Surely that's not a line that could resurface for the wrong reasons down the road.
Is it also possible we're overrating the power of the Rodgers-Adams connection? In eight years together, they racked up the numbers, starring as one of the best quarterback-receiver duos in the NFL. They also failed to get over the NFC championship hump a single time. Yes, the Jets probably offer a better No. 2 target in Garrett Wilson, a better defense, and perhaps an equally dynamic ball-carrier in Breece Hall. They're also led by a coach in Jeff Ulrbich who was just installed atop the staff one week ago, with a brand-new play-caller, an unsteady offensive line, and a much older, more hobbled version of Rodgers.
If Saleh's sudden dismissal was owner Johnson slamming the red panic button, desperate to jump-start short-sighted title hopes, then welcoming Adams is Johnson politely providing his quarterback -- and, in essence, his chief operating partner -- a nice little gift basket for the drive home. Because, at the end of the day, Rodgers is at the wheel. He has been from the day he declared, while still under contract with the Packers, that he desired to be a Jet, unintentionally following in the footsteps of Brett Favre, another Green Bay legend whose larger-than-life persona drove him into the desperate arms of the Big Apple.
Again, if you're the Jets, the Adams move is par for the course. If you've gone this far, banking this much on a star quarterback in the twilight of his career, you've got almost no choice but to double down. You've got to give Rodgers his best chance at unlikely redemption, and you could do much worse than by handing him a perennial All-Pro pass catcher. The path to an AFC wild card isn't so crazy even at 2-4, with SportsLine projecting an 8.8% increase in the Jets' playoff chances -- up to 40% -- following the Adams trade, which should lessen the burden on the entire offensive operation, at least to a degree. As for the sports betting markets, the Jets are currently +155 to make the playoffs, +500 to win the AFC East and +3000 to win the Super Bowl, per DraftKings sportsbook. But what happens next isn't just about 2024. The future of the entire franchise hangs in the balance.
What happens, after all, if this final attempt at stardom doesn't pan out? And what even constitutes "working out" at this point? Going into 2023, and again 2024, most would've at least expected a playoff run. Which is still a major accomplishment in East Rutherford, where the Jets haven't reached the postseason since 2010. But if that doesn't happen -- if New York fires Saleh and acquires Adams, only to waste away in the AFC East as Rodgers approaches his 41st birthday -- then what? Once again, it may well be up to the man under center. The Jets could technically designate their quarterback a post-June 1 release following the season, saving money and starting fresh. Unless Rodgers regresses further, becoming the primary reason for New York's failings, Johnson is just as likely to let No. 8 keep steering.
Retirement could be on the table, in which case Adams would also be likely to walk; he's technically signed through 2026, but he can be released -- and/or request his release -- to save the Jets anywhere from $28 million to $36 million against the salary cap. If, however, Rodgers preaches the upside of a full offseason back with Adams, he'll presumably have a strong say in where New York turns for its next permanent head coach and/or play-caller. And all focus will shift to 2025 as another "all-in" endeavor, trying to squeeze a title out of whatever is left in the tank for both Rodgers and Adams.
"It's interesting the amount of power that people think that I have, which I don't."
Technically, yes, Johnson signs the checks. General manager Joe Douglas makes the moves. And Saleh -- er, Ulbrich -- oversees the staff. None of them have as much influence on the football field as the former Super Bowl champion with the ball in his hands on every snap. And until that changes -- until the highest of the higher-ups pulls the plug on this partnership, or Rodgers does it himself -- then the Jets will go as their polarizing leader goes. He's got his favorite wideout back. Jets fans hope it'll be enough.
