Adams regrets asking the Jets to trade him. “I do [regret requesting a trade]. I do. But again, it happened for a reason. Everything happened for a reason and obviously I asked for a trade and I go to Seattle. I love Seattle. The first couple of years were great. Then the injuries started to pile up,” Adams said via Dunne.
“Sometimes, you realize that it’s not always greener on the other side. And obviously I was loved in New York and I didn’t realize how much I was loved until I left. I didn’t know how much impact I really had on New York.”
Adams asked out of New York prior to the 2020 season. While losing the All-Pro safety hurt, former Jets’ GM Joe Douglas was able to squeeze two first-round draft picks and a third-rounder out of the Seattle Seahawks for Adams and a fourth-round selection.
In a rare example of the Jets winning a trade, the team turned those picks into offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker and star wideout Garrett Wilson. In Week 17, Wilson became the first player in Jets history to record 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons in the NFL.
Perhaps Adams will act as a cautionary tale for Wilson, as rumors swirl that the wideout could request a trade out of New York if Aaron Rodgers is back with the team in 2025. Wilson has been increasingly unhappy with his role since Rodgers’ bestie Davante Adams joined the team.
After leaving the Jets following the 2019 season, Adams found success with the Seahawks. However, injuries prevented him from reaching the remarkable heights he appeared destined for early in his career. In 2022, Adams suffered a devastating injury, which cost him all but one game that season and limited him to nine starts in 2023.
Prior to the 2024 season, the Seahawks moved on from Adams. The three-time Pro Bowler signed with the Tennessee Titans but quickly asked for and received his release.
Eventually, Adams was signed to the Detroit Lions’ practice squad. In December he was elevated to the active roster and played two games for Detroit. Now Adams has an opportunity to earn a ring with his new team. Still, he’s left wondering what his career would look like had he never forced his way out of New York.
Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.
