Watch New York Jets Star Receiver Explains Fiery Steelers Postgame Speech

New York Jets wide receiver Davante Adams is prepared to take on a leadership role even though he’s only been with the team a week.

Oct 20, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. (31) returns an interception while being pursued by New York Jets wide receiver Davante Adams (17) during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

When it came right down to it, New York Jets wide receiver Davante Adams said he couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

He had only been with the Jets for five days, the result of a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders. But, as he told reporters on Wednesday, he saw something during Sunday’s game with Pittsburgh that didn’t set well with him.

It was in the second quarter. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers had just dumped off a pass to running back Breece Hall and the third-year back hustled through tacklers and open field for a 57-yard gain that put the Jets inside the Steelers’ 5-yard line.

That’s the type of game-changing play that should get a huge reaction from teammates. Adams didn’t like what he saw.

He said one celebrated. Three plays later the Jets scored and everyone was happy. But, as the game changed and the Jets fell further behind, the sideline, he said, became “dead.”

Davante Adams spoke to the #Jets team Sunday night after the game, & Aaron Rodgers said “I thought it was the realest speech I’d heard in a locker room in 20 years"

Davante Adams with a strong answer to why he felt compelled to stand up & say something:

"It's not really my… pic.twitter.com/Ng94OJnpJM

— Harrison Glaser (@NYJetsTFMedia) October 23, 2024

But, to Adams, the problem started before the game got away from the Jets. And, even though he had only been in town for five days, he decided to speak up to a team that had just lost its fourth straight game and was slipping further into regular-season oblivion.

Hall’s run was the trigger point.

“Breece catches a ball and goes 60 yards and we can't feed off none of that energy?” he said. “Those type of plays are supposed to be contagious for the rest of the team.”

Adams said there was no time to waste. There are only 10 games left.

His message?

“What I told them is I'm not here to be the savior,” Adams said. “I'm here to help shift this culture more than anything. I'm trying to enforce a winning mindset in these guys. To have only 17 opportunities and come out flat like that and essentially give away a game. That's unacceptable.”

How did it go over in a locker room in which few players outside of Rodgers knew Adams?

While Rodgers told reporters that it was the “realest speech I’d heard in a locker room in 20 years,” that’s from someone who has known Adams for a decade.

But ESPN reported that other players, ones who had just met Adams that week, connected to the message too.

"He was emotional,” Jets defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw said. “It wasn't B.S. It came from the heart. You could see the passion in his eyes. That dude is a real dude.”

Does one speech save a season? Who knows. But Adams was right about one thing. There’s no time to waste.