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'Dark cloud over the building' — Davante Adams gives subtle but telling explanation behind the Jets' major offseason reset

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Wendell Ferreira | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 10:07 AM ET

The New York Jets had to start over. They fired general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh during last season, they cut quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver Davante Adams this offseason. The idea is to get a fresh start, to build a new culture under Aaron Glenn and Justin Fields.

Adams is now with the Los Angeles Rams, and when asked about how he's feeling with new team, the offensive weapon took a subtle shot at the Jets, and it shows why a retooling was so important.

"I feel like this is what I needed just based off the vibe and the aura of the building," Adams said. "And everybody's in a good mood. It's not like a dark cloud over the building. And I've experienced that quite a bit over the last few years. So, it's a glaring difference when you come into a building like this."

It feels like Adams is referring to both of his last two teams, the Jets and the Las Vegas Raiders. Since being traded away from the Green Bay Packers in 2022, the wide receiver has gone through a lot in collective terms, with bad teams, suboptimal circumstances, and underwhelming results.

What the Rams have built under Sean McVay is an example for the Jets, actually, even though Glenn is a completely different style of head coach.

"You can see why (Sean McVay) has had so much success and why everybody kind of looks at him and looks to him the way that they do in this building," Adams added. "And before I even got a chance to really get together with a lot of these guys, I'd heard some of the feelings and sentiments from different players about him, and I don't think I've ever seen any uniformity toward any individual ever in the past before that."

Individually, Davante did play at a good level for the Jets. In 11 games, he had 67 catches for 854 yards and seven touchdowns. The team ended up cutting him because his contract was designed for an inflection point after the 2024 season, and a renegotiation didn't make sense for any side.

The Jets sent the Raiders a third-round pick to acquire Adams back in October. Because the team had to release him back in March, the wide receiver wasn't eligible to enter the compensatory pick formula.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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