Davante Adams comments on Raiders trade: 'A little weird' but 'we're in a better place'

The Las Vegas Raiders traded Davante Adams to the New York Jets on Oct. 15, ending a weeks-long stand-off between the veteran receiver and his former club.

Adams had been out of the lineup with a hamstring injury since Week 4 and had requested a trade shortly thereafter. The Raiders worked diligently to acquire a second-round pick for the 31-year-old and ultimately settled on the Jets ' offer of a third-round pick that can conditionally become a second-rounder if Adams meets certain benchmarks.

Adams spoke candidly about the "whirlwind" trade during his first news conference with the Jets on Oct. 17.

"It's been a roller coaster, for sure," Adams told reporters . "It's a weird thing to say that I'm happy, but, obviously, it was time for a change.

"This whole thing kind of transpired a little weird, but at the end of the day, we're in a better place. I think that the Raiders are in a better place as well, and everybody can kind of move on."

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Adams didn't detail exactly what was "weird" about his Raiders departure, but he hinted that he wasn't on the same page about his usage as the team. He also communicated he was excited about getting a fresh start alongside his former teammate, Aaron Rodgers .

Adams told reporters that joining the Jets was his No. 1 choice given his eight years of experience with Rodgers.

"Obviously, having him as my quarterback again, he's part of why I am who I am, and why I turned into the player [I am]," Adams said of of the 40-year-old signal-caller.

As such, Adams is hoping he can hit the ground running despite missing a few weeks of action because of his hamstring injury. He is planning to play in Week 7 against the Pittsburgh Steelers , and Rodgers believes his new top wideout will immediately be able to integrate himself into New York's wide receiver room.

"I expect to be on the same page," Rodgers said during his news conference . "I'm hoping that we click. He's been out for a few weeks with a [hamstring] injury and we haven't played together since 2021, but we have a lot of memories to call upon. He has an incredible recall."

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That recall will be critical, as the Jets need Adams to get quickly acclimated to their offensive plan. New York is sitting at 2-4 on the season and needs to start winning quickly to become a playoff contender.

While Adams is focused on helping the Jets during the 11 games left in the 2024 regular-season, he is hoping that he will be more than just a rental for the team.

"I mean, I hope so. That's the plan," Adams said when asked about staying in New York beyond the 2024 season. "I mean, I want to be here. I never go somewhere in hopes of having to find a new home, so that's the hope."

The Jets have Adams under contract through the 2026 season, but he is due a base salary of $35.64 million in both 2025 and 2026. New York restructured Adams' deal slightly to lower his base salary in 2024 after acquiring him, so it stands to reason the Jets would do the same to avoid taking a massive cap hit of $38.34 million in 2025 and 2026.

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Before making any long-term decisions, the Jets will likely want to see how Adams fares in his 11-game trial with the team.

Regardless of what happens, Adams is looking forward to making an impact with the Jets, something he felt he couldn't do as much with the Raiders.

"[People] see a trade demand and they just think, 'He wants out, he's quitting on the team,' when it's more about just being able to feel like I can – I don't want that helpless feeling," Adams told reporters. "Not every game's going to be a 100-yard game or 150-, 200-yard game, but I want to feel like I can impact the game every time I touch the field.

"Just having the confidence that I'll be able to make some plays and change the game if need be versus getting out there on the field and feeling like we need too many things to go right for me to be successful."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Davante Adams comments on Raiders trade: 'A little weird' but 'we're in a better place'