EDITOR’S UPDATE: NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that Adams would like to be traded to the New York Jets but is open to playing for several other teams. The New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers are among the teams that either have inquired about the six-time Pro Bowler or would be preferred destinations for Adams, Rapoport added.
Could Davante Adams be traded? It suddenly feels like a stronger possibility.
Trade talk around the Las Vegas Raiders receiver has heated up in the past few days, with NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reporting Tuesday that Adams has informed the team that his preference is to be moved elsewhere.
Whether that ends up happening remains to be seen. But if the Raiders are indeed willing and ready to move on from the six-time Pro Bowler, there should be no shortage of potential suitors available.
Adams’ contract carries a $13.5 million salary cap hit for this season if he was traded this week, and that number would drop by approximately $968,000 with each week that passes prior to the Nov. 5 trade deadline, according to Over The Cap. Adams has two years remaining on his deal after this season, but his 2025 and 2026 seasons (at $36.25M apiece) are non-guaranteed.
Here are some of the teams that make the most sense if an Adams trade comes together:
The obvious connections run deep. Aaron Rodgers and Adams forged a great relationship in Green Bay, where he was Rodgers’ top weapon for many years. Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett was on some of those Packers teams, too, so it’s not hard to imagine how he might fit in.
The Jets have been rumored to be interested in acquiring Adams since the day Rodgers landed in New York, so this is no stretch at all. The chemistry between Rodgers and Garrett Wilson is a work in progress. The same holds true for Mike Williams, who also carries a significant injury history. Jets tight ends have only 15 catches through four games, so adding another weapon to a passing game that ranks in the bottom half of the NFL makes perfect sense.
After deciding to run it back this season with Rodgers, the Jets still have the cap space to make it happen – and as long as the asking price isn’t too high, they should be at the front of the line of bidders. They also have additional third-and sixth-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, giving the Jets ample ammunition to make it happen.
You might recall their failed preseason pursuit of Brandon Aiyuk, which felt multiple times like it was on the verge of happening. The Steelers’ WR crew is led by George Pickens and Calvin Austin III, but they’ve combined for fewer than seven catches per game. Tight end Pat Freiermuth is another top target in Pittsburgh, but you don’t need to squint to see how a receiver of Adams’ skill set could upgrade this unit the minute he joined the team.
The Steelers might need to be creative in fitting Adams’ salary under the cap. But going after Aiyuk proves they’re willing to consider every option, no matter the roadblocks. They don’t have a war chest of future picks, but the Steelers’ cupboard isn’t empty, either, as they own all their own Day 1 and 2 selections next spring.
The Steelers are 3-1, atop the AFC North. But for how long? The Ravens have won two straight after their 0-2 start, and the Bengals remain dangerous in spite of their 1-3 mark. The time for Pittsburgh to strike might be right now, seeing the opportunity to challenge for the division title and a home playoff game, something they’ve only done twice in the past decade.
If you’re looking for a dark-horse team in the Adams race, there’s a strong case to be made for the Commanders to shoot their shot here.
At 3-1, they’re quickly becoming one of the feel-good stories of the 2024 season thanks to the play of QB Jayden Daniels. The early favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year has completely changed the trajectory of this team, which suddenly ranks in the top 10 in several offensive categories.
Terry McLaurin is WR1 in Washington, but it’s not hard to see how he and Adams could pair up as a devastating duo. With Luke McCaffrey manning the slot well as a rookie and TE Zach Ertz as the security blanket, there’s already a lot to like about these pass catchers, but Adams would take the group to a new level.
Washington absolutely has the cap flexibility – this year and next – to handle taking on Adams’ salary, too. While the Commanders were thought to be a two- to three-year rebuild, Daniels’ early emergence has changed the calculus dramatically, and new GM Adam Peters has shown in his brief time he’s willing to be aggressive when needed.
It should be noted that Adams called out fans of the “Washington Football Team” this summer on a podcast with Amon-Ra St. Brown, complaining about the Commanders’ stadium as well as the city of D.C. itself. Perhaps Commanders fans can forgive those comments amid their current endorphin rushes if they landed Adams.
There might be some financial hurdles to overcome if the Bills are to get involved. They had a rough offseason in terms of watching veteran talent walk out the door for salary-related reasons and were relatively quiet in free agency because of it. The one notable veteran receiver they added, Curtis Samuel, has been a non-factor thus far.
Josh Allen has been mostly terrific through four games, and he’s doing it without a true No. 1 receiver. Khalil Shakir has elevated his game, Dalton Kincaid remains a higher-volume target and rookie Keon Coleman has made strides in recent weeks. But Adams would step in immediately as Allen’s best weapon.
Do the Bills feel the need to make a move of this caliber? Their Week 4 loss to the Ravens exposed some holes in the team, but Buffalo remains the overwhelming favorite to this point in the AFC East. The question is whether the Bills believe they can go toe-to-toe with the league’s true heavyweights and whether trading for Adams can help them do just that.
There are other spots the Bills could try to address before the Nov. 5 trade deadline, and though acquiring the Raiders star wouldn’t be easy, it’s a fascinating possibility to consider.
What is a trade-destination list without Dallas listed somewhere? Like the Bills, the Cowboys had a quiet offseason – and it has been a growing topic of debate as the team has started slowly out of the blocks at 2-2. You can never count the Cowboys out in any potential deal, even if they have not been a big-swing team with this type of move in recent years.
With the makeup of their offense now, shorthanded in the backfield, this is a pass-first offense. But beyond CeeDee Lamb, do the Cowboys have a game-changing pass catcher? Jake Ferguson is a solid threat at tight end, and Brandin Cooks and Jalen Tolbert have their imprint on the scheme, but an Adams-Lamb pairing might instantly make them the top WR combo in the league.
This one feels less likely than the others above them on the list, but there’s no doubting the pressure in Dallas right now. Everyone, starting with owner Jerry Jones, wants another Super Bowl title badly. Getting Adams would help their chances, but it also wouldn’t be a cure-all for what currently ails them on defense and elsewhere.
UPDATE: NFL Network’s Jane Slater reported Wednesday that the Cowboys will not be pursuing Adams.
OTHER POSSIBILITIES
Imagine an offense with Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, Isaiah Likely and Adams. Suddenly that 0-2 start would feel like a distant memory. Very few teams are equipped to defend that kind of firepower, and the Ravens might even have some young WR talent they could send back to the Raiders in any proposed deal. But this is a cap-strapped team that would have to pull a few strings to make it happen.
Considering the injuries to Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice, the Chiefs are virtually back where they were a year ago, when the lack of WR talent became a season-long talking point. You can bet that Andy Reid and Brett Veach will be looking for help there, and it would be hard to imagine Patrick Mahomes not endorsing this caliber of acquisition to help him out. But the Raiders trading Adams to the hated Chiefs? That’s a tough scenario to envision happening – unless, perhaps, the Chiefs went way over the Raiders’ asking price.
This is another team in need of offensive firepower at receiver. Justin Herbert lost a lot in the offseason, and Quentin Johnston and rookie Ladd McConkey are doing their best to fill those top roles on a run-heavy offense right now. Yes, Adams would naturally vault to the top spot there, but Adams might be more of an offseason possibility than a midseason trade target – especially with Herbert fighting through some injuries early on.
