Davante Adams Trade Rumors: Talks Have 'Slowed Down' amid Jets, Saints Turmoil

The New York Jets firing head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday and the oblique injury to New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr may be affecting trade talks involving Las Vegas Raiders wideout Davante Adams.

"I think the events in New York and the events in New Orleans may have slowed down talks with those two teams, and we'll see if and when they can pick up some steam," ESPN's Adam Schefter reported during Tuesday's NFL Live. "Because everybody does expect that Adams is going to be traded, we just don't know where or when."

However, NFL reporter Josina Anderson reported that the Carr injury "does not necessarily impact New Orleans' interest in continuing trade discussions for Adams."

She added that "an agreement on draft pick compensation is still necessary. The energy on this portion of a potential transaction was stagnant even before Carr got hurt" and noted that a source told her that the "urgency is with the Raiders to resolve the Davante situation, because they're the ones paying him."

And Peter Schrager of NFL Network suggested that Saleh's firing wouldn't necessarily preclude a trade:

As for the teams potentially in the Adams' market, Tashan Reed, Vic Tafur and Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the Jets, Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers "remain interested in acquiring Adams after reaching out to the Raiders, while the Buffalo Bills are monitoring the situation."

The Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Washington Commanders are not pursuing Adams, per that report, while the Dallas Cowboys "called about the six-time Pro Bowler, but they passed, per league sources, because they don't want to take on the remainder of his base salary this season, which is about $12.5 million."

Adams has clear ties to both the Jets and Saints, having played with Aaron Rodgers during their time together in Green Bay and Carr at both the college (Fresno State) and professional levels (Raiders in 2022).

In New York, Adams would give the Jets a loaded quartet of receivers, joining Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard and Mike Williams (assuming the Jets didn't give up Lazard or Williams in the deal). In New Orleans, he would give the team a strong trio alongside Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed.

Both teams could also use a spark. The Jets are 2-3 after losing two straight games, which led to Saleh's firing on Tuesday, a major decision with a crucial divisional matchup against the 3-2 Buffalo Bills in Week 6.

The Saints, meanwhile, are 2-3 after losing three straight contests. The team looked like one of the NFL's best after starting the season with victories over the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys, but has come back down to earth after losses to the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons and Kansas City Chiefs.

Carr's oblique injury, which likely will keep him out for multiple weeks—the Saints play twice in the next 10 days, with a showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday before a Thursday Night Football showdown against the Denver Broncos on Oct. 17—won't help the team reverse its fortunes. New Orleans will now have to decide between starting rookie Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener in Carr's absence.