Why Davante Adams may not want to follow Aaron Rodgers

The New York Jets have decided to move on from both Davante Adams and Aaron Rodgers, and there has already been speculation that the two will want to remain teammates next season. That arrangement might only make sense for one of them, however.

On Tuesday, the Jets announced they have released Adams. The initial goal was to trade him, but the Jets could not find a suitor for the six-time Pro Bowl wideout.

Adams will likely draw far more interest than Rodgers on the free-agent market. The 32-year-old posted solid numbers last season with 85 catches, 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns in time split between the Jets and Las Vegas Raiders. Adams has now had five consecutive seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards.

While Adams and Rodgers are both past their primes, the latter is essentially at the finish line of his career. Rodgers was solid over the second half of 2024, but the Jets finished 5-12 and in no way resembled a playoff contender. The torn Achilles he suffered in Week 1 of the 2023 season was a significant factor, but Rodgers became part of the problem with the Jets — not the solution.

Adams and Rodgers made magic together for the better part of eight seasons with the Green Bay Packers. They showed some flashes of their old chemistry last season, but Adams got to see firsthand just how limited the 41-year-old Rodgers has become.

Does Adams really want to spend his last good years playing with a quarterback who might struggle to keep his team above .500?

There have been reports that Adams has strong interest in a trio of West Coast playoff contenders. None of those teams need a quarterback. It is unclear whether Rodgers will even be offered a starting job, but the prospect of playing for a team like the New York Giants or Tennessee Titans should not appeal to Adams if he wants to pursue a Super Bowl ring.

Unless Adams is content with mediocrity during the twilight of his career, he should probably find another quarterback to cling to.