Davante Adams’ breakout game gives Jets difficult contract decision

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jets snapped their four-game losing streak Sunday with a 32-25 victory over the Jaguars. Here are some thoughts and observations from the game:

1. Davante Adams put on a show in the second half and that creates a question about his future with the Jets. Adams had nine catches for 198 yards and two touchdowns, all in the second half. He seemed to will the Jets to victory in the final minutes with a 71-yard catch, a 41-yard catch and an acrobatic sideline catch.

So, what happens this offseason with Adams?

The Jets have him under contract for two more years but it is clear that his contract would need to be reworked in order for him to stay. He is due $35 million in each of the next two years and that is not happening.

There are plenty of questions about whether it makes sense for the Jets to keep Adams and whether he would even want to stay. It feels like everything starts with the question of whether Aaron Rodgers will be back in 2025. Adams did not force his way out of Las Vegas to come to New York because he enjoys our lovely weather. He wanted to play with Rodgers. Would he even want to stay with the Jets if Rodgers is no longer the quarterback?

If Adams does want to stay, the Jets should try to make it work with him. He and Garrett Wilson can form a dynamic receiver combo for whoever is at quarterback next year. Adams turns 32 on Christmas Eve but he still looks quick and is an elite route runner.

It is hard to figure out what a new contract for Adams would look like. He is older and is no longer the best receiver in the NFL, but he showed Sunday he’s still pretty damn close.

Whoever comes in as the Jets general manager and head coach will face some major decisions about the direction of the team in 2025. There is talent on this roster, but it has underachieved. The new regime could choose to tear things down and start building their own foundation. If they think that the team is ready to win in 2025, Adams should be a part of it. That was clear in the second half Sunday.

2. There was some talk after the game of “where was this all season?” or “it’s finally clicking.” The Jets players and coaches were thrilled to get a victory over anyone at this point but when evaluating this one, it should not be overlooked just how bad the Jaguars are.

The Jets needed a historic performance in the second half to get 32 points on the worst defense in the NFL. They allowed 421 yards to a Jaguars offense with backup quarterback Mac Jones playing with one good receiver and a bunch of other anonymous ones. A tight end named Brenton Strange had 11 receptions.

If not for Adams’ crazy fourth-quarter performance, the Jets very well could have lost this one.

The Jets have nothing to apologize for. They beat the team in front of them but let’s not get carried away about the team turning a corner and showing what they were capable of all year. The Jets now face two first-place teams in the next two weeks – the Rams and the Bills. Let’s see how they look against those teams before we evaluate where the Jets are at.

3. Aaron Rodgers went out of his way to praise the offensive line after Sunday’s game. They did a great job protecting Rodgers, who was sacked once and hit just three times. The Jaguars have two good edge rushers in Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker and both were quiet all game. The run blocking was not great. Most of the Jets’ rushing yards came from Rodgers scrambles, but the pass protection was really strong. Tackles Olu Fashanu and Morgan Moses in particular played really strong games.

The Jets have been searching for answers on the offensive line for years. It feels like Joe Douglas found some in what was basically his final act as Jets GM. Fashanu, Joe Tippmann, Alijah Vera-Tucker and John Simpson should all be back next season and maybe Moses will be re-signed. It has been a long time since the Jets had that kind of stability along the line.

4. We use the term “meaningless games” a lot during this time of year after teams are eliminated from playoff contention. But Sunday’s game was a reminder that while they may be meaningless for fans and media members, these games are still very meaningful to players and coaches.

The postgame interview room in Jacksonville is right off of the locker room. There was a door to the locker room not far from where interim coach Jeff Ulbrich was speaking to reporters on Sunday. You could hear the players celebrating through the door. Once in the locker room, players were joking and yelling. There has not been much happiness around the Jets this season. But Sunday’s win brought some celebration to the Jets. This is something to remember when people talk about tanking for draft picks. No one in uniform wants to hear that. All of these games mean something to the players and coaches.

Revealing stat

Davante Adams had 135 receiving yards in the final four minutes of the game, the most in the NFL this century, according to ESPN.

Surprising snap count

Malachi Corley was inactive again and the Jets elevated Brandon Smith from the practice squad for the game. I assumed Smith got the nod over Corley because he would play special teams. But Smith did not play any special teams snaps. He only played one snap in the game – on offense. This tells me the coaches really have issues with Corley. It has been a disappointing year for the third-round pick.

Game ball

You can’t give this one to anyone but Adams, whose 198 receiving yards were the seventh-most in franchise history and the most since Eric Decker had 221 against the Dolphins in 2014.