How New York Jets Restructuring Adams Deal for Salary Cap Revealed

The New York Jets did some salary cap maneuvering to help absorb the cap hit of wide receiver Davante Adams’ contract.

Jan 7, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams (17) makes a catch against Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) during the second quarter at Allegiant Stadium. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Getting the trade done for Davante Adams was one thing. But the New York Jets also needed to find some financial flexibility when it came to the All-Pro wide receiver’s massive contract.

For at least the rest of this season, the Jets and Adams were able to get things worked out.

ESPN reported on Tuesday that Adams agreed to restructure his contact to lower his salary cap number this season to $3.21 million, per sources cited by Adam Schefter. In addition, two voidable years were added to the contract, which will allow the two sides to work out a potential extension after the season.

Adams is in the third year of a five-year, $140 million contract he signed with the Raiders in 2022. With the trade, the Jets become responsible for the remainder, which was something Las Vegas reportedly wanted in any deal. Raiders owner Mark Davis was adamant the team wouldn’t take on any of Adams’ remaining salary to make a deal work.

Per USA Today and Spotrac, in the original structure of Adams’ deal, the Jets were on the hook for the remainder of the wide receiver’s base salary for this season, prorated from $16.89 million. Then, New York would have had to pay Adams his base salary for the remaining two years of the deal, which is $35.64 million.

None of the remaining cash was guaranteed to Adams, so the Jets could have left the deal in place and released him after the season. However, New York would have absorbed a dead cap hit based on what’s left of Adams’ remaining cap money.

The Raiders, even while getting out of the deal, are taking a $13.67 million dead-cap hit for the rest of the 2024 NFL season while taking on $15.7 million in 2025.

If the Jets left Adams’ contract in place and let him play on that deal the next two seasons, Adams’ cap hit would be $44.1 million per year.

That simply won’t do for New York and is part of the reason why they need the voidable years in the restructured deal.

Even with all the salary cap issues, getting Adams in-house was too good to pass up. Putting him the same receiver room with Garrett Wilson gives the Jets a sizeable 1-2 punch — once Adams has a grasp of the offense and his balky hamstring is back in shape. He passed his physical on Tuesday, which was a requirement of the trade.

His relationship with quarterback Aaron Rodgers is well-documented and he even made a cameo during Rodgers’ weekly appearance on ESPN’s Pat McAfee show.

Adams had 18 receptions for 209 yards and a touchdown in three games before the injury. But he’s been one of the game’s most productive receivers since 2014. With Green Bay in eight season he had 669 receptions for 8,121 yards and 73 touchdowns.

He was an All-Pro in his first season with the Raiders in 2022, and was exceptional, with 203 receptions in his first two years.