Davante Adams' midseason move from the Raiders to the Jets came with great expectations.
A new start in a new environment and a reunion with an old friend -- QB Aaron Rodgers -- was projected to be a boost for both players and for a team in need of a jolt. Through his six games with the Green & White, Adams said on Wednesday that's he's "extremely disappointed in the win-loss column," but the change in scenery has been a net positive.
"As far as making the move, I don't regret it, not even one bit," Adams said. "Obviously, nobody in here, nobody really period, knows what I was going through and knows the reasons why it led to having to be this way. But I don't regret it at all. I got to come here and become a part of a new team, and got welcomed with open arms, got to play with one of my favorite quarterbacks, one of my best friends. And it's been a bumpy road. It's been a weird year, all year, especially for me.
"Like two different seasons for me, but I don't regret it at all. You win some, you lose some, as long as you're doing everything you got to do. And this team is not one of the teams that come in here and bull**s all week, and then go out there and expect to do well. We practice hard, we have fun out there, and a lot of things, I've seen a lot of progression and improvements since I've been here. So long as people are doing things the right way, you got to be able to live with the outcome sometimes. And it's us, and it's hard to sleep at night knowing that we got a locker room like we do, and obviously having three wins at this point in the year is not ideal at all. But like I said, don't regret it at all."
In 5 of his last 6 seasons, dating to 2018 in Green Bay and the past two in Las Vegas, Adams has surpassed 100 pass catches and more than 1,100 yards receiving. Overall, in his 9 total games this season, Adams has 49 catches and 553 yards; with the Jets those numbers are 31 for 344 (11.1 yards a catch) with a pair of TDs.
"And it's the ultimate team game," Adams, 32, said. "That's why it's the most gratifying when you do figure it out. But it's difficult. It's a really difficult task to do, especially with all the moving parts, change, changing coach, me coming in halfway through the year. It's been a lot of things that have contributed and made it adverse here, and we've tried to make the most of it, and unfortunately, haven't won enough games to be as happy as we want to be around here. But we still got to come in here and make those deposits and never apologize for working harder. So that's what we're doing."
As the Jets (3-9) prepare for the final 5 games of the 2024 regular season, starting with a trip to South Florida to face the Dolphins (5-7) on Sunday, the reunited twosome of Adams and Rodgers share the thrill of being back together for however long it lasts. They each realize that the season has not shaken out the way either of them thought or hoped it would.
"I mean that part sucks, but the fact I get to sit next to my best friend in the league every single day is the best," Rodgers said. "He's a fantastic guy. I hope that there's guys that have watched him go about his business and seeing what it professionally is and taking some of that with them as they move forward in their careers. There's a lot of people whose futures are uncertain, his just like mine, but hopefully there's some things that we've done here, the way we practice, the way we communicate, the guys can take, because he's a consummate professional."
Whatever the future holds for No. 17, the veteran wide receiver has set an example for several of the Jets' young pass catchers like Garrett Wilson, Malachi Corley and Xavier Gipson.
"I try to hold myself accountable by putting up big numbers and big games," Adams said. "Because that means, typically, that leads to winning."
