Davante Adams is on the move in a trade that could tip the balance in the AFC playoff race.

The New York Jets announced Tuesday that they have acquired the standout wide receiver from the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a conditional draft pick. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Jets are sending the Raiders a 2025 third-round pick who can become a second-rounder if certain performance metrics are met.

Accordingly SchefterThe Raiders will pay “no portion” of Adams’ remaining salary as part of the deal, although NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Adams and the Jets have agreed to a contract restructuring for 2024 that will reduce his cap hit.

SNY’s Connor Hughes reported that the Jets are “hopeful” that Adams can make his team debut Sunday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.

Adams’ long-term future in Las Vegas has been a storyline throughout the offseason until his agents went on the record to address “baseless, baseless speculation” and reaffirm his commitment to the Raiders.

It took four games and a 2-2 start for the situation to change dramatically.

On October 1, NFL Network’s Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported that Adams had told the team that he would like to be traded. Schefter quickly added that Las Vegas would “consider” a trade and needed a second-round pick and other pieces.

The trade is unlikely to be well received by Raiders fans. Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard, a long-time supporter of the franchise, made his opinion clear when the rumors first started:

Starting the next year, Las Vegas had to think long and hard about whether it still wanted to keep Adams. He makes one Basic salary of $35.6 million in 2025 and 2026 and a cap hit of $44.1 million for those two seasons, and those are big numbers for a team so far removed from the competition.

Adams’ production isn’t going in the right direction either.

The 31-year-old was All-Pro in 2022 and caught 100 passes for 1,516 yards and an NFL-high 14 touchdowns. Since then, he has averaged less than 12 yards per catch and 70 yards per game. The latter in particular is well below his peak years with the Green Bay Packers.

Perhaps this is largely due to the Raiders’ inconsistent play at quarterback, but even elite receivers don’t always age gracefully. The warning signs were clearly there if a change of scenery would not result in an improvement in Adams’ stats.

In general, Las Vegas made a huge miscalculation when acquiring the decorated pass catcher from Green Bay. The general manager and head coach responsible for that trade are no longer there, and the current regime took a long-term view when evaluating the roster in the offseason.

Dealing Adams is a much better fit for the Raiders’ new organizational priorities.

When a trade seemed like a good possibility, the Jets were one of his more obvious landing spots given his existing relationship with quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

However, New York’s fit isn’t perfect considering how crowded the team’s receiving corps has become.

The Jets are still waiting for Garrett Wilson to hit his stride, but one would think the 24-year-old is still positioned as an important player for the future. Mike Williams and Allen Lazard are also on the roster.

Someone from that group will inevitably be pushed to the sidelines in the passing game when Adams comes aboard, and that could present a tricky situation for the coaching staff.