Top Trade Packages for Davante Adams if Jets Trade Star WR

The New York Jets appear ready to part ways with Davante Adams less than five months after acquiring him a midseason trade. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, they're taking calls with the hopes of dealing him before the new league year opens on March 12.

This impending split should hardly come as a surprise after the Jets recently informed quarterback and longtime Adams teammate Aaron Rodgers that they plan to move on after two ill-fated seasons together.

The salary-cap implications will make any Adams deal tricky to pull off. The wideout is set to earn over $35 million in base salary over each of the next two seasons and has a cap hit north of $38 million for the upcoming campaign. Those lofty figures may also lead to Adams' eventual release if the Jets fail to find a suitable trade partner, as the Jets could save nearly $30 million against the cap by waiving him.

Despite the hefty costs, the Jets were desperate enough to swap a conditional third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for Adams back in October. They could potentially recoup some of that capital from a contender equally eager for receiver room help this offseason.

With that in mind, here are four teams that make sense as an Adams trade partner.

Green Bay Packers

Chris Unger/Getty Images

New York Jets receive: CB Jaire Alexander

Green Bay Packers receive: WR Davante Adams

Perhaps the final chapter in Adams' storybook career will occur with the same organization it began with.  

Adams spent his first eight NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers. He earned five of his six Pro Bowl nods with the organization before being dealt to the Raiders in a blockbuster trade leading up to the 2022 campaign.

While the Packers team that Adams left three years ago was a veteran-laden squad led by Rodgers, the one he could return to is youthful and hungry to make a leap into Super Bowl contention following back-to-back early playoff exits with Jordan Love at the helm of the offense.

One of the missing pieces in Green Bay has been a true No. 1 receiver. The roster features a slew of talented pass-catchers like Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed, but none has ever topped 65 receptions or 900 yards in a season.

Considering Adams has tallied at least 85 catches and 1,000 yards in each of the last five seasons, he could immediately step in and take back the role he long shined in for the Packers.

Green Bay has an ideal trade chip to acquire Adams as well. With rumblings that star cornerback Jaire Alexander is on his way out, the Packers could offer him to the Jets as a way to seamlessly replace D.J. Reed.

Reed capably served as one of New York's starting cornerbacks for the last three years, but the impending free agent will almost certainly garner expensive contract offers when the new league year begins later this month.

A one-for-one swap of two aging but still effective veterans would benefit both sides, filling positions of clear need for the franchises involved while providing Adams and Alexander with much-needed changes of scenery.

Los Angeles Chargers

Megan Briggs/Getty Images

New York Jets receive: 2025 fourth-round draft pick (No. 124)

Los Angeles Chargers receive: WR Davante Adams

The Chargers are once again heading into an offseason with glaring needs in their receiving corps. While they did address the issue a bit last year by drafting Ladd McConkey, they now must find a stable outside weapon to pair with star quarterback Justin Herbert in 2025.

Davante Adams could be the perfect Quentin Johnston replacement and an ideal partner for the younger, shiftier McConkey. Although Johnston still has two seasons left on his rookie deal and a club option for 2027, he's far too inconsistent for a feature role in L.A.'s offense right now.

While Johnston ended his sophomore season with 711 yards and eight touchdowns on 55 catches, his production came in spurts, and he completely disappeared in the postseason. Johnston finished the Chargers' Wild Card Round loss with zero catches on five targets, failing to surpass even tight end Will Dissly (two catches for 16 yards) as the team's second-most productive pass-catcher in its disheartening 32-16 defeat to the Houston Texans.

Herbert would thrive with the 6'1", 215-pound Adams working the outside, much as he did when paired with Keenan Allen earlier in his career.

During his first three NFL seasons, Herbert averaged nearly 4,700 passing yards and more than 30 touchdowns per year. He finished with 3,870 passing yards and 23 scores in 2024 with McConkey serving as his only reliable weapon.

Although some of Herbert's decline can be attributed to injury and a more run-focused scheme under head coach Jim Harbaugh, the presence of Adams could unlock the type of potent aerial attack that was missing last year.

Adams proved he still had plenty left in the tank last year by finishing the season with 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns on 85 receptions. If the Jets are willing to take on some of Adams' salary in exchange for a fourth-round pick, the Bolts should not hesitate to pull the trigger.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Joe Sargent/Getty Images

New York Jets receive: 2025 fourth-round draft pick (No. 122)

Pittsburgh Steelers receive: WR Davante Adams

Adams could be the answer to the Pittsburgh Steelers' longstanding receiving woes.

The Steelers have made no secret of their desire to land a standout veteran receiver in recent years. They aggressively pursued Brandon Aiyuk last offseason and made runs at several other stars ahead of the trade deadline before being forced to settle for Mike Williams, who failed to move the needle for them.

After backsliding into the playoffs and flaming out in the Wild Card Round, the Steelers still need to find a high-end wideout whom they can pair with George Pickens to bolster a slumping offense.

The Steelers have been interested in Adams for quite some time. They reportedly inquired about Adams' availability last year before he was dealt to the New York Jets, so they could make another run at him now that Gang Green is on the verge of releasing the 32-year-old.

Although Pittsburgh's quarterback situation is concerning—the team has several underwhelming options to explore this offseason—Adams' presence would still provide a major boost to whomever ends up lining up under center in 2025.

The Steelers' passing offense stagnated heavily last year with Pickens as the only consistent threat. He was the lone Pittsburgh wideout to record more than 36 receptions and 548 receiving yards.

The Steelers need a capable option to pair with Pickens and tight end Pat Freiermuth (who led the team with only 65 receptions and seven touchdown catches last year) to truly compete in a loaded AFC North race.

Coughing up a Day 3 pick and taking on at least some of Adams' hefty salary would be well worth the positive impact that he could have on this tepid offense.

Tennessee Titans

Al Bello/Getty Images

New York Jets receive: 2025 first-round pick (No. 1 overall)

Tennessee Titans receive: 2025 first-round pick (No. 7 overall), 2025 second-round pick (No. 42 overall), 2026 second-round pick, QB Aaron Rodgers, WR Davante Adams

The Tennessee Titans are open for business when it comes to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. NFL insider Ian Rapoport revealed last month that Tennessee's front office has an "open mind" with "all options on the table" regarding the selection.

Considering the New York Jets are one of the clubs that have reportedly expressed interest in moving up to No. 1 (per ESPN's Dan Graziano), these teams could potentially work out a mega trade that would seismically shift the league's landscape.

With one massive move, the Jets could completely shake off the last major vestiges of the failed previous regime and forge a new path under incoming head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey.

Such a deal, which would include swapping first-rounders in addition to packaging incumbent quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams and adding a pair of early Day 2 selections to sweeten the pot, would allow Gang Green's veteran battery to close out their careers together in the Music City while opening the door for a new era in the Big Apple.

The Jets would be perfectly positioned to land a new franchise quarterback after acquiring the top pick. Whether they would decide on Miami's Cam Ward—the No. 1 passer on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's big board—or Colorado's Shedeur Sanders is up for debate, but both prospects are immensely promising and would offer renewed hope of breaking the longest playoff drought in the big four men's professional American sports.

As for the Titans, they'd come away from the trade with a real chance to contend in a wide-open AFC South for a handful of seasons while also securing valuable Day 2 selections to build for the future with—all for the low cost of moving down only six spots in the first round.