American Football
Best Davante Adams landing spots in NFL free agency, including Chiefs and Bills
Who should want Davante Adams? A lot of teams.
An underwhelming wide receiver market in free agency received a boost Tuesday when the New York Jets released star wide receiver Davante Adams.
Adams should go right to the top of the free-agent class with the Cincinnati Bengals placing the franchise tag on Tee Higgins. Adams, 32, should have his choice of landing spots. He reportedly is interested in playing on his native West Coast. He will probably also be interested in playing for a winning team after struggling with the Las Vegas Raiders and Jets after enjoying success for most of his his first eight seasons with the Green Bay Packers.
And, of course, there’s the Aaron Rodgers factor. Surely, the quarterback-receiver tandem would be interested in joining forces for the third time in their careers;
Here are teams that could make a run at Adams, presented in alphabetical order;
This could be a low-key favorite. Adams would be perfect opposite second-year standout receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Having Adams, Harrison and tight end Trey McBride would make Kyler Murray’s life much easier. Plus, Arizona has a ton of salary-cap space and Adams would likely love being closer to his Northern California home and the Cardinals could easily compete in the NFC West.
The Ravens were connected to Adams before the Raiders traded him to the Jets and he’d be a nice fit in Baltimore in 2025. He and Lamar Jackson could do work together.
This is another team that was interested in dealing for Adams last year. He’d be an upgrade in free agency over Amari Cooper, who the Bills did end up acquiring last year. Adams has said he doesn’t miss the weather in Green Bay. But a chance to play with an MVP quarterback on a Super Bowl winner again would likely appeal to him.
This one could be a sneaky favorite like Arizona. Adams would be another weapon for Bo Nix and it is in the Western side of the country.
Green Bay Packers:
Is this a joke or something? Hear us out. Adams has been complimentary of his time in Green Bay and he respects their leadership and he was in the program with Jordan Love. the Packers could certainly use Adams and he probably released what he gave up after playing with the Raiders and Jets the past three seasons.
The Chiefs make so much sense for Adams in a lot of ways. He’d be perfect for them. But they have a lot of in-house free agents to deal with and may not have the means to fit in Adams into the salary-cap and get other priorities accomplished.
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Las Vegas Raiders:
Is this a sick joke or something? The Raiders? Again? Well if Las Vegas pursues Rodgers, which is possible, than Adams makes some sense, right? It’s a new regime in Las Vegas, so maybe Adams be open to a return if Rodgers was part of the deal.
This could be a favorite. The Chargers, who are flush in salary-cap room. could use a top receiver. Adams would love working with Justin Herbert, being back on a winning team and playing in his home state.
There were rumors that Rodgers and Adams could reunite with the Rams if Matthew Stafford was traded. But that’s not happening. Still, maybe the Rams and Adams would still have interest without Rodgers in the picture.
It’s already been speculated that the Patriots will pursue Adams. They have plenty of cap room and a intriguing young quarterback, Drake Maye. But would the recent losing and location keep Adams from being interested?
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He’s not Rodgers, but Adams is also close with Saints’ quarterback Derek Carr. The two played at Fresno State together and Adams stated often that Carr was the driving force to him wanting to go to Las Vegas. Adams’ interest in staying in Las Vegas waned after Carr was cut after one season together in the NFL. The Saints are in cap jail, so signing Adams won’t be easy.
The Steelers wanted Adams last year. Could this be one of the few teams that could be an attraction for both Adams and Rodgers in free agency?
Adams grew up 12 miles up the 101 from Levi’s Stadium. The 49ers would make a ton of sense, especially if they trade Brandon Aiyuk.