Jets Expected To Jump Into Davante Adams Derby In Effort To Save Season
It's going to be an interesting flight back to the United States for the New York Jets following Sunday's bitter 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London because on that flight the Jets are expected to decide exactly what to do about trading for Davante Adams.
This could go one of two ways:
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 06: Aaron Rodgers of New York Jets attempts to pass the ball during the NFL match between New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 06, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
Jets Could See Season Slipping Away
The Jets could see themselves as a 2-3 team and understand their playoff chances are already dim weeks into the season. They might understand that since 1990, teams that begin the year with a 2-3 record typically don't rally to a postseason berth.
The actual number is that 23 percent of teams that begin the season 2-3 have made the playoffs. So the Jets, a team searching for identity after thinking themselves Super Bowl contenders in the preseason, are in trouble.
That means the people that run the team might decide it is wiser to stay the course and hope the roster they meticulously put together the last 10 months can develop and improve enough to save the season.
They might decide giving up a future high draft pick and taking on the burden of an Adams contract, renegotiated or not, isn't worth the trouble.
Yeah, that's not the direction the Jets are expected to go.
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 09: Robert Saleh, head coach of the New York Jets, looks on before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on September 09, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Jets Believe Season Can Be Saved
"It's early," coach Robert Saleh said after Sunday's loss. "We're five games in. Obviously, we'd like it to be a lot better, but it's early, and we've got a long way to go.".
The direction this franchise is going to go is that they're going to pursue the Adams opportunity aggressively. Because the people that run the franchise believe the season is not over.
Adams wants to go to the Jets – among other teams, including the New Orleans Saints – so that he can play with a quarterback he knows. His preference is to be reunited with former Packers teammate Aaron Rodgers.
So on Sunday's Atlantic crossing, general manager Joe Douglas, primarily, and Saleh will weigh if adding Adams, still one of the better receivers in the NFL, could salvage their season.
And perhaps save their jobs.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 12: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers #8 of the New York Jets and wide receiver Davante Adams #17 of the Las Vegas Raiders visit on the field after the Raiders' 16-12 victory over the Jets at Allegiant Stadium on November 12, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Jets Chase For Adams About To Begin
A Jets source told OutKick last week that the team fully intended to be players in the Adams sweepstakes, which is not surprising, but they hadn't aggressively engaged yet for multiple reasons including the fact Adams wasn't healthy yet.
Adams is expected to be mostly recovered from a hamstring injury in the next week or so.
So the Jets are going to throw something of a Hail Mary to see if reuniting Adams and Rodgers somehow changes things.
It's obvious stuff needs changing.
The Jets offense is stale and kind of predictable right now. Their answer for everything is try to establish a running game. And if/when that fails, the fallback is throw the ball to Garrett Wilson.
That's it.
That's generally the plan.
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 06: Garrett Wilson of New York Jets react during the NFL match between New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 06, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Jets Offense Is Stale
On Sunday, the Jets netted 36 yards rushing. So that failed.
And then they threw the ball to Wilson 22 times.
Rodgers and Wilson are working on building a chemistry. And it looks solid at times, which is the reason they combined on 13 connections for 101 yards and one TD on Sunday.
But too often the duo isn't on the same page. And Rodgers doesn't seem to have anyone else who is consistent.
Allen Lazard, who Rodgers trusts, has dropped a handful of passes the past two games. And Mike Williams, who was mostly still rehabilitating his surgically repaired knee through training camp, doesn't have any sort of notable chemistry with Rodgers.
The results are clearly troubling for Jets fans.
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 06: A general view of play during the NFL match between New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 06, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
Rodgers: ‘Below My Standard’
Rodgers, who is 40 years old, is seen frustrated on the field multiple times from the near misses of his attempted passes.
And sometimes he becomes predictable, as when he threw to Wilson, but the pass was intercepted and returned for a Pick Six by Andrew Van Ginkel.
"Up and down," is how Saleh evaluated Rodgers after this loss in which the quarterback finished with three interceptions.
"Obviously, that was below my standard," Rodgers said. "I've never thrown two picks in the first quarter before. So that's a first … In a game we lose by six, plays like that are exponentially highlighted. Three turnovers by me is out of character and I'm disappointed."
Rodgers isn't alone in his disappointment. Owner Woody Johnson has expected this to be a good team. And he's made no threats but also no promises about the status of either Douglas or Saleh after this season.
This season is likely going to determine their status.
So do they sit on that flight back and decide – like that dog in the burning room meme – that things are fine. Or are they going to do something drastic to try and save the situation and probably themselves?
The Jets chase of Davante Adams gets very serious starting on Monday.