Why did the Raiders trade Davante Adams? Drama, contract lead to Jets deal

The Las Vegas Raiders have moved on from veteran receiver Davante Adams less than three seasons after acquiring him from the Green Bay Packers .

The Raiders traded Adams to the New York Jets for a package headlined by a conditional third-round pick. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport first reported on the trade .

Las Vegas originally acquired Adams, hoping the veteran receiver would provide the team a true No. 1 receiver and rekindle the chemistry he enjoyed with Derek Carr during their college days together at Fresno State. However, Carr was jettisoned after just one season with Adams as part of Josh McDaniels' bumpy year-plus tenure with the team.

DAVANTE ADAMS TRADE: Why Jets must go get veteran wide-out to save plunging season

Adams was productive for the Raiders, generating two 1,000-yard seasons and leading the NFL in touchdowns during the 2022 season. However, it became clear that the 32-year-old didn't have a long-term future with the team as they struggled to begin the 2024 campaign.

Here's what went into Las Vegas' decision to trade Adams and dive into yet another roster retool.

Why did the Raiders trade Davante Adams?

The Raiders traded Adams, in part because, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport , he told the team that he preferred to be traded before Week 5 of the 2024 NFL season.

Adams' request came just a day after an Instagram account linked to Raiders coach Antonio Pierce liked a post indicating the team would trade the veteran receiver for the right package.

The timing of Pierce's social media activity was notable. It came just over a week after the first-year head coach criticized some members of his team for making "business decisions" in their loss to the Carolina Panthers and just one day after Adams missed Las Vegas' Week 4 win over the Cleveland Browns with a hamstring injury.

OPINION: Antonio Pierce's cold 'business' approach reflects reality of Raiders' challenges

Even so, Adams was mum about his future in an appearance on Kay Adams' "Up and Adams" show on FanDuel TV just hours before his trade request became publicized. He detailed that he hadn't spoken to Pierce about the post and was mum about his future with the Raiders.

"All I can control is this talk we're having right here," the Raiders wide-out said, referring to his appearance on the show. "After we're done with this, all I control is the next thing I'm going to do."

In addition to the endgame drama surrounding Adams' exit, the Raiders simply aren't looking like a legitimate playoff contender in 2024. They sit at 2-4 and have a point differential of negative-54, fourth-worst in the NFL.

With that in mind, it made sense for the team to offload Adams. At 32, the veteran receiver doesn't exactly fit the Raiders' window for contention. Trading him now allows Las Vegas to capitalize on a seller's market at the position, as several prominent playoff contenders needed reinforcements at the position.

Now, the Raiders are better positioned to move up in the 2025 NFL Draft to get a quarterback because of the draft capital they acquired. That will allow them to replace the underwhelming duo of Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell with a cost-controlled rookie starter.

2025 NFL MOCK DRAFT: Raiders land offensive playmaker with first-round pick

Las Vegas will also free up $28.4 million in cap space for the 2025 NFL offseason by offloading Adams' contract. That gives the Raiders plenty of resources to upgrade their roster, including a potential replacement for the veteran wide-out.

That's to say that it seemed like a mutually beneficial decision for each party. Adams gets to play with Aaron Rodgers and try to lead the Jets to a playoff berth while the Raiders can focus on shaping their team into a wild-card hopeful for the 2025 season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why did the Raiders trade Davante Adams? Drama, contract lead to Jets deal