Nearing the climax of the film Rounders — as Matt Damon’s poker-hustling character Mike McDermott is heading into the pit of Teddy KGB’s dank, dimly lit, iron-doored playing den — he takes a second to monologue concerning the depths he’s lastly reached.
He’s within the improper type of bother, with the worst type of folks, greedy for one final likelihood to avoid wasting himself.
“I’ve typically seen these folks,” McDermott narrates, “these squares on the desk, short-stacked and lengthy odds in opposition to them, all their outs gone, one final card within the deck that may assist them. I used to marvel how they may let themselves get into such dangerous form … and the way the hell they thought they may flip it round.”
That’s the sentiment that involves thoughts proper now once I take into consideration these New York Jets. I see a franchise that’s already in some actual bother this season — having expended all the things it has at its disposal with a finally-healthy Aaron Rodgers — however as soon as once more experiencing withering returns on funding. The quarterback bought his chosen vacation spot, chosen offensive coordinator and ample expertise slotted round him. The offensive line was tuned up. The scheme was curved to his preferences.
But coming off a putrid loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 3, the Jets responded by wanting utterly off-kilter offensively for a lot of the day in opposition to the Minnesota Vikings in a 23-17 loss in London. Granted, it was in opposition to one of the vital vastly disguised and complicated schemes within the league, orchestrated by Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. However these Jets, led by a brainy and sensible 40-year-old Rodgers, had been presupposed to be constructed to beat that type of hurdle.
Now it’s getting exhausting to disregard a wider image that’s wanting worse by the week, with the Jets’ lone pair of wins coming in opposition to the struggling Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots — two of the AFC’s bottom-dwelling franchises which might be a mixed 2-7 this season and faltering badly at quarterback.
Once you have a look at the Jets from that wider angle, you must marvel — within the phrases Mike McDermott — how the Jets bought into such dangerous form and the way the hell they assume they’ll get out. The reply they’ll pursue subsequent week is that proverbial final card within the deck: Las Vegas Raiders wideout Davante Adams. A participant who’s being studied on the commerce block by a handful of franchises, none seemingly as determined as this Jets franchise.
All of which frames a brand new problem for the Jets. Positive, they need to and do need Adams … however ought to Adams need them again?
There’s no assure that the narrative of the Jets being Adams’ hammerlock best choice is definitively true. Bear in mind, there was a time frame in 2022 that the overwhelming presumption was that the Inexperienced Bay Packers had been going to signal Adams to a long-term extension, shortly after the workforce had accomplished a brand new deal for Rodgers. However it was Adams who took a tough left flip — beautiful even Rodgers — by urgent a commerce to the Las Vegas Raiders, so he might max out his wage and play alongside his faculty quarterback, Derek Carr.
On the very least, that proves Adams isn’t precisely a assured commerce match for New York. And albeit, it’s a a lot stronger piece of his historical past that ought to be weighed — extra so than the cryptic Instagram put up that includes a portrait of Edgar Allen Poe, which threw all of Baltimore right into a tizzy. His final huge choice had a component of familiarity in Carr, but additionally a a lot greater aspect in how a lot cash he was going to be paid. He had waited in line for a very long time in Inexperienced Bay for a monster extension. And finally, he bought uninterested in ready behind Rodgers and decided for himself.
With Adams now on the doorstep of 32 years previous, I think cash will proceed to be a think about his thought course of. Not solely how a lot of his wage the Raiders are prepared to pay to get him dealt for an honest draft choose, however how viable it is going to be for a commerce accomplice to pay him in 2025. Even perhaps whether or not that commerce accomplice is prepared to work some type of contract adjustment instantly upon the his arrival, giving him some assured cash in 2025.
Because it stands, he doesn’t have that. As an alternative, he has an especially cumbersome two years of non-guaranteed cash left on his deal, to the tune of $72.5 million in base wage, roster and sport bonuses. Because it stands, it’s a digital certainty that no workforce goes to pay that.
Certainly, nearly not one of the groups focused on buying and selling for him may even afford it, which renders him little greater than a rental for them, except he agrees to remodel his deal. And if Adams reworks his deal, he’s going to need a critical chunk of assured cash in 2025. That’s what you do while you’re going to go into the offseason at 32 years previous and just one extra short-term chunk on the wage apple. See how a lot of this dialog would not focus on Adams merely clanning up with a former quarterback buddy?
However since that can at the least be part of the dialog, let’s look again on the Jets and ask once more if Adams ought to even be focused on them at this stage. At the start, the offense has regarded disjointed at finest. The Jets aren’t constantly working the soccer and creating some stability within the scheme. The offensive line has had an especially robust time since shedding proper sort out Morgan Moses. And at one juncture in opposition to the Vikings, I couldn’t assist however discover Rodgers wanting on the sideline and doing the acquainted “hurry the hell up” finger-spin, which is usually employed when irritated quarterbacks need their play-caller to get the play radioed in additional shortly. It resonated on Sunday as a result of Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett was dragged mercilessly throughout his transient stint because the Broncos’ head coach for failing to get performs into the sport quick sufficient to permit Russell Wilson to get to the road of scrimmage and kind out the safety calls and defensive alignments.
So there’s all that. After which there are among the moments that increase how well-oiled the machine is, even when the play-calling is functioning effectively. Late within the first quarter in opposition to the Vikings, Rodgers put an ideal ball into the face of Allen Lazard and the wideout dropped it. The subsequent play, Rodgers threw the pick-6 interception to Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel.
That lit a hearth below Minnesota that will see them construct a 17-0 lead — which compelled the Jets to shift away from their working sport to attempt to engineer a comeback. That tilt towards the passing sport let the Vikings get way more aggressive up entrance, which led to Rodgers getting hammered repeatedly if he wasn’t getting the ball out of his palms as shortly as potential.
When it was throughout, Rodgers revealed he had sprained his ankle and declaring, “I’m undoubtedly banged up.”
Should you’re Adams, you must cease for a second and take up that. If Adams can’t get a hunk of assured cash in 2025 as a part of the commerce parameters, then he wants to both put up some robust numbers down the stretch of this season, or be the recipient of a Tremendous Bowl glow-up together with his new workforce. If he will get neither of these issues, then he’s going to get lower by his new workforce (to keep away from paying his big contract quantity in 2025) after which face a free company reception subsequent offseason that might be far more frosty than he expects. You’ll be able to already fell it while you discuss to different NFL executives. He’s not considered as the identical top-three or 4 wideout like he was when he was traded to the Raiders in 2022. So the following few months actually matter in terms of the sunsetting of his profession.
Now think about that Rodgers is already 40 years previous, enjoying beat up and now with a sprained ankle, behind an offensive line that’s having bother defending him, and with a younger wideout in Garrett Wilson who clearly fashions himself because the No. 1 possibility on the workforce and has already made some essential remarks concerning the scheme. Towards the Vikings, Rodgers force-fed Wilson 22 targets and nonetheless missed him at instances on throws the place both Wilson didn’t perceive what Rodgers needed or Rodgers merely misfired. All whereas Wilson has morphed right into a small-ball wideout who will get nearly all of his targets 10 yards and in. And now the Jets wish to add one other presumed No. 1 receiver whose finest property have historically been unlocking the intermediate-to-deep components of the sector? The sorts of routes that usually necessitate a quarterback holding onto the ball somewhat longer and needing higher safety?
All of that ought to give Adams pause. As ought to the Jets’ subsequent two video games — at dwelling in opposition to the Buffalo Payments after which on the street in opposition to the Pittsburgh Steelers workforce that additionally want to be a participant within the Adams sweepstakes. Ought to the Jets lose these two video games and fall to 2-5, a state of affairs that already feels wobbly might get ugly shortly. In some respects, you’ll be able to already see it within the Jets’ fan base after Sunday, the place it is shortly turning apoplectic on social media.
Positive, Adams can reunite with Rodgers. After Sunday, the Jets are seemingly determined sufficient to make it occur, letting the Raiders store Adams round after which coughing up one of the best basket of draft picks for his companies. However the different facet of that deal will nonetheless be Adams strolling right into a franchise that feels prefer it’s inviting chaos and on the very fringe of implosion.
Go watch that ultimate climactic chapter from Rounders. See Mike McDermott mortgage the final of his friendships. Watch him get into that prison-inspired elevator and descend right into a brick-encased bunker that regarded prefer it had a method in and a method out. It was a frightening second, and all the things needed to break completely proper to outlive and switch it throughout. That feels just about just like the definition of the Jets proper now. And everybody is aware of there’s just one final card within the deck that may assist them.
However will he?
