Davante Adams Shares Wild Story of Trying to Get His Jersey Number With the Jets

Throughout his career, he has consistently worn the number 17. However, when he joined the Jets, rookie wide receiver Malachi Corley already had that number. Adams shared an interesting story about how he acquired his number 17 from Corley during an appearance on the podcast "Why is Draymond Green Talking About Football? With Jordan Schultz."

"I tell them I want to wear No. 17," Adams said. "So, I don't want to go there empty-handed, and I want to take care of this kid. So, I said, 'Hey, man, I see you've got 17, how about I give you 17 racks cash for 17?' He responds, and he says, 'Hey man, it's good to have you, happy to have you on the squad. But I need a million.'"

How Adams Finally Got His Number Back

Adams initially thought Corley was joking when he asked for $1 million, but he soon realized Corley was serious.

"I don't know him at this point, so I'm kind of laughing," Adams said. "I think he's joking, so I'm like, 'Haha, that's funny, but I've got to talk to the media tomorrow, and they'll ask me what number I'm going to wear. So, I've got to get this figured out tonight. I heard 14 is open.' He said, 'I'm (expletive) serious, and 14 would look good on you, I think.'"

Adams didn’t share many details, but he mentioned that he "went the route I needed to go" and successfully acquired No. 17 without exchanging any money. He admitted that he wasn’t pleased with the exchange at the time, but now he finds it amusing and noted that he and Corley had a good relationship with the Jets.

Corley played in just nine games last season and had three catches for 16 yards. He now plays for the Cleveland Browns. Adams had 67 catches for 854 yards and seven touchdowns in his time with the Jets.

Puka Nacua’s Generous Gesture With the Rams

Adams now plays for the Rams, where he joined another player who wore No. 17: Puka Nacua. Nacua has had an impressive start to his career, accumulating 2,476 yards and nine touchdowns in just two seasons. Adams mentioned that acquiring the No. 17 jersey from Nacua was much easier than expected.

"I get a text from Puka, 'congrats 17 we appreciate you," Adams said. "I'm like, '17?' and I go and look and my agent texted me and said, "The kid gave up his number. First thing he did when he found out that you were going to come to the team was he gave up the number and he's going to 12.'"

Adams didn’t have to negotiate this time around. Instead, Nacua immediately offered up the number as a sign of respect for the veteran receiver.

With the number situation settled far more smoothly than in New York, Adams can now turn his focus fully to making an impact in Los Angeles. For a player who has built his brand and legacy around No. 17, it was a gesture that allowed him to continue that tradition without the drama.