Jets release Davante Adams in cap-clearing move

The Davante Adams era with the Jets was shorter than the Aaron Rodgers experiment.

The Jets released Adams on Tuesday. The six-time Pro Bowl receiver played 11 games for the Jets after being acquired from Las Vegas in October for a third-round pick.

This move doesn’t come as a surprise. As soon as the Jets announced last month that they were moving on from Rodgers, it was only a matter of time before they did the same with Adams.

New general manager Darren Mougey and coach Aaron Glenn were noncommittal about Adams’ future as a Jet when they spoke to reporters at last week’s NFL Combine.

“Davante is on the team right now,” Mougey said. “We have a plan there and in the next few weeks we will address that issue.”

Glenn said, “He’s on the team right now and we’ve got to continue to have conversations about how we’re going to move in that direction. But listen, we’re in the business of collecting good players. We’ll see how that goes moving forward.”

The Jets are cutting ties with two very good and accomplished players as the new regime works on trying to rebuild the roster and change the culture.

Releasing Adams opens up roughly $29.9 million in cap space for the Jets. According to OverTheCap.com, they currently have $53.2 million to use when free agency begins next week. They could get above $60 million with other moves, including waiving receiver Allen Lazard.

That’s likely to happen, as there doesn’t figure to be a robust market for Lazard on the trade front. The Jets would free up $6.6 million by cutting Lazard. Rodgers, Adams and Lazard were all teammates in Green Bay previously.

Rodgers, who appeared in 18 games with the Jets, and Adams reunited last season after Adams forced a trade to the Jets. The hope was that the duo would pick up where they left off in Green Bay and improve the Jets’ chances of winning.

Adams put up good numbers. He caught 67 passes for 854 yards and seven touchdowns in those 11 games. The Jets went 3-8 with Adams, and 5-12 overall, and failed to make the playoffs for the 14th consecutive season.

The day after the season ended, Adams said his future “for sure” was tied to Rodgers. Adams said he would consider “potentially” returning to the Jets if Rodgers wasn’t back. There were many factors in play though, and it never seemed realistic that Adams would be a Jet in 2025.

He would have had to agree to restructure his contract, first of all.

Adams’ base salary was $35.6 million and he carried a cap charge of $38.25 million. All of it was non-guaranteed. The Jets would have preferred trading Adams, but those figures made it unrealistic.

It’s possible that the 32-year-old Adams and Rodgers will join forces again with another team, presuming Rodgers plays in 2025. Adams could have a market from receiver-needy contenders, though, and he’ll get to choose where he goes.

The Jets are expected to waive Rodgers after the start of the new league year on March 12. But they won’t get immediate salary cap relief as they are set to make him a post-June 1 cut. That allows the Jets to split Rodgers’ $49 million cap charge over two years: $14 million in 2025 and $35 million in 2026. The Jets will carry Rodgers’ $23.5 million cap number until June 2. It then drops to $14 million, giving the Jets $9.5 million in cap space.

The Jets have holes on both sides of the ball, but receiver is a major need. They will try and add to the room through free agency, trades and the draft.

Garrett Wilson, who has recorded more than 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons, is the best and most dependable pass-catcher on the Jets’ roster. The receiver group also features Xavier Gipson and second-year player Malachi Corley.

Tim Patrick could be a free- agent target. Patrick played for the Broncos from 2018-2021 and spent last season with the Lions after missing two years with injuries. Mougey was in the Broncos’ front office when they signed Patrick. Glenn and new offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand were with the Lions last season.

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.