Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams give Jets one final slap in the face

The Aaron Rodgers era was supposed to change everything for the New York Jets. Instead, it ended up setting the franchise back.

After two disappointing seasons marred by injuries, drama, and unmet expectations, the Jets were forced to hit the reset button this offseason, moving on from Rodgers, firing their old regime, and trying to build a new foundation around Justin Fields.

One of the final desperate moves of the Rodgers era was the blockbuster trade for Davante Adams, a short-term swing that was meant to save a spiraling 2024 season. Adams played well, but it hardly mattered.

The Jets kept losing, missed the playoffs again, and parted ways with the coaching staff and front office that had made the deal. Like so much of the Rodgers experiment, the Adams trade failed to deliver the results the team desperately needed.

Unfortunately, the Jets are still paying for those mistakes.

Davante Adams trade delivers one final blow to NY Jets

The third-round pick they traded away for Adams, pick No. 92 overall, continued to move around the board this offseason. It eventually ended up in the hands of the Seattle Seahawks, who used it to select Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, one of the highest-upside developmental quarterbacks in this year's draft class.

There is no guarantee the Jets would have taken Milroe if they had stayed at No. 92. They have Fields and are supposedly committed to giving him a real opportunity.

But if they were ever going to take a swing at developing a young quarterback, Milroe’s raw talent and athletic upside would have made him a fascinating gamble. Instead, they watched another potential option for the future slip away — one last parting gift from the Rodgers era.

Milroe is far from a finished product, but the upside he brings is undeniable. A two-year starter at Alabama, Milroe dazzled with his athleticism and big-play ability, rushing for 20 touchdowns in 2024 alone while flashing one of the strongest arms in the class.

His passing remains a work in progress, but when everything clicks, he has the tools to attack defenses at every level. Milroe is the kind of developmental prospect who would require patience, but for a team willing to bet on raw traits and explosive talent, the long-term payoff could be massive.

Maybe the Jets were never going to take a quarterback at No. 92, but thanks to the Davante Adams trade, they never even had the option. One last parting gift from an era the Jets are desperately trying to move on from.

More NY Jets news and analysis: