NFL insider kills Aaron Rodgers' NY Jets dream on Super Bowl Sunday

Aaron Rodgers' recruiting dreams may have been crushed

Justin Fried

NY Jets, Aaron Rodgers / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The NY Jets are expected to go big-game hunting for a star wide receiver this offseason, and it seems as though Aaron Rodgers hasn't given up hope that his team could trade for his longtime teammate, Davante Adams.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported live from the Super Bowl on Sunday that Rodgers is still "trying to recruit" Adams from Las Vegas to join him on the Jets this offseason. The Raiders, however, aren't likely to cooperate.

Rapoport is reporting that the Raiders "want to win" and have "zero plans to trade Davante Adams." This aligns with previous reports that Adams plans to stay in Las Vegas, especially following the hiring of new full-time head coach Antonio Pierce.

There was a point last year when it seemed inevitable that Adams would end up being traded to the Jets. Now, it's almost impossible to imagine a scenario in which it happens.

The Insiders on @NFLGameDay: The #Raiders want to be aggressive, but trading up for a QB will be a real challenge; Aaron Rodgers has been recruiting Davante Adams, but the #Raiders don’t plan on trading great players; The #Bucs plans for Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans. pic.twitter.com/5pH8f1kFNw
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 11, 2024

Aaron Rodgers will likely fail to recruit Davante Adams to the NY Jets

Rodgers has been on the recruiting trail for Adams almost since he was traded to the Jets last spring. The Jets reportedly made inquiring calls to the Raiders about a potential Adams deal during the season but were swiftly rebuffed.

There were rumblings that Adams would request a trade out of Las Vegas, given the discouraging circumstances surrounding the prior regime. The hiring of Pierce seems to have changed everything.

Pierce invigorated a stagnant Raiders locker room and helped convince Adams to stay. While I'm sure he would like to reunite with Rodgers in New York, he seems to be happy in his current situation. Adams doesn't want to leave, and the Raiders don't want to trade him.

So, where does that leave the Jets? There will be other appealing wide receiver targets this offseason, such as Mike Evans, Calvin Ridley, and Tee Higgins. It remains to be seen how many of those players are actually available, though.

The Adams pipedream has seemed dead in the water for weeks now, and Rapoport's report essentially confirms that. Rodgers' dream of reuniting with Adams in Florham Park has perished.

Justin Fried

Justin Fried is an editor for FanSided who has over seven years of experience covering the NFL and various other sports. A diehard Jets fan since birth, Justin has served as the editor for The Jet Press since 2019, interviewing athletes such as Sauce Gardner, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Joe Klecko, and many others. Justin has also worked closely with brands like Red Bull to help highlight the niche sectors of the sporting world. His four-part series on the sport of breaking remains one of his proudest pieces of work. In his spare time, Justin is an avid pro wrestling fan who is fortunate enough to have traveled to nearly 30 different countries.