There's been little talk about the possibility of disgruntled Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams being traded to the San Francisco 49ers, with most believing that the New York Jets are the frontrunner to land the three-time All-Pro wideout.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport reports that the Jets are Adams' preferred destination, likely due to the potential reunion with future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. However, Rapoport did mention that the 49ers could be on Adams' radar, at least as a team he wouldn't object to joining.
"New York is where the Raiders star wants to play after informing the team on Monday he prefers to be traded, multiple sources say," Rapoport wrote in a feature for NFL.com on Thursday morning. "But Adams has not demanded as much from Las Vegas, and this is not a scenario like Rodgers' in 2023 when the quarterback informed the Packers he would only play for the Jets.
"In fact, according to sources informed of Adams' thinking, he is open to playing for several other teams. The New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys and perhaps the San Francisco 49ers are among teams that either have inquired about the six-time Pro Bowler or are places Adams would be happy landing."
Rapoport also noted that the Raiders have engaged in discussions with several teams since Adams made his desire to play elsewhere known. However, those conversations aren't expected to intensify until next week at the earliest.
Adams' contract will likely need to be restructured if a trade occurs. His base salary is nearly $17 million this season, and it will balloon to $35.6 million in 2025.
Although the 49ers currently lead the league with $56.7 million in salary cap space, per OverTheCap.com, much of that is already earmarked for upcoming salary increases for players like recently extended wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and quarterback Brock Purdy, who is set to become one of the NFL's highest-paid players next offseason.
Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle recently floated the idea of an Aiyuk-for-Adams trade, suggesting it could benefit the 49ers. This trade scenario was previously discussed during the offseason when it seemed possible that Aiyuk might not return due to a contract standoff with the team.
"As with 2022, when the struggling 49ers energized their team by trading for Christian McCaffrey, this is a moment they shouldn't let pass," Silver wrote. "Instead, they should go get Adams, and then they should pass, pass and pass some more."
"They'd (the 49ers) take an $18.4 million cap charge in 2025 by trading him now," Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio wrote. "And they will have paid him $23 million for less than a season of work. But they could end up getting Adams plus more for Aiyuk. If the Raiders would want him. Or if the 49ers could find a separate trade partner for Aiyuk at the same time they trade for Adams."
Whether the 49ers are interested in Adams remains uncertain. However, the team is known for exploring nearly every opportunity, making it plausible that some initial brief conversations have at least taken place between the two teams. However, nothing regarding any trade talks between the 49ers and Raiders has been reported.
Adams would undoubtedly be an impact player in head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense. This season, Adams has registered 18 receptions for 209 yards and a touchdown in three starts with the Raiders. Over his 11 NFL seasons, he has caught 890 passes for 10,990 yards and 96 touchdowns in 153 games (146 starts), surpassing 1,000 receiving yards in five of the last six seasons.
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