Davante Adams didn’t like what he saw from his new team against the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday. He had just orchestrated a trade to the New York Jets to team back up with Aaron Rodgers but found himself so disappointed with his new teammates that he felt the need to say something in the locker room.
“There was a lack of energy and urgency out there, and it was apparent”, Adams told reporters on Wednesday. He described the game against the Steelers featuring “a dead sideline”, lacking urgency and energy. Basically, he grew frustrated seeing a team with so much talent not living up to its potential.
“I played on teams that have that winning culture, and just basically I just took a moment to let them know I had reservations about speaking up too early and being too vocal too early”, Adams said, pointing out the Raiders team the Steelers just beat always played a complete game. “But I felt like in my mind, I said, ‘F that, because we don’t have time. I have to do whatever I have to do to help the team move forward’”.
For his part, Davante Adams caught three passes on nine targets for 30 yards in his Jets debut. He dropped one pass against the Steelers, but he did make one touchdown-saving tackle. Or rather, a touchdown-delaying tackle at the 1-yard line after Beanie Bishop Jr.’s second interception.
“That’s an example of finishing and the mindset, for sure”, Adams said about his tackle against the Steelers. “But it was more of energy is what I was speaking on”.
Adams pointed to the long catch-and-run play from RB Breece Hall that flipped the field yet garnered no reaction. “Guy got 60 yards, and we don’t feel nothing on the sideline”, he said, looking frustrated even after the fact.
Davante Adams spent most of his career with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. In 2022, he joined the Raiders, who had the culture he appreciated but not the success. The Jets, thanks in part to the Steelers, have neither, now 2-5.
Adams’ team blew a 15-6 lead, ultimately losing by 22. The Jets looked listless against the Steelers for pretty much the entire second half, the latter scoring 31 unanswered. While it appears his teammates were very receptive to his message, it’s still telling that he found it necessary.
And that is especially worrying given that Aaron Rodgers has been there for the past two years. He was supposed to help change the Jets’ culture, but he has failed to do so. He has also failed to win. So how is Davante Adams and his 30 yards against the Steelers going to fix it?
