Jamal Adams is doing everything in his power to force his way off the Jets, and his multiple public comments should be enough to accomplish that goal.
After months of social media tirades over his stalled contract negotiations and a formal trade request, Adams publicly denounced the Jets’ owner, general manager and coach, all in a three-day period. Adams’ comments toward Woody Johnson were warranted given the allegations against the Jets owner – that he made racist and sexist remarks during his time as U.K. ambassador – but the criticisms of Joe Douglas and Adam Gase should fracture the relationship between Adams and the Jets beyond repair.
To that end, it would be an utter shock if Adams suited up in a Jets uniform past the 2020 trade deadline.
Imagine if an employee publicly bashed their boss, the CEO of the company and the owner of the company. Would that employer keep the employee around, or dump them as soon as they could? Probably the latter, and that’s probably what Adams is hoping for after a week of ripping the Jets’ shot-callers.
Tensions between Adams and the Jets began back in October when Douglas fielded offers for Adams at the trade deadline, leading to a period of silence between the two sides. Fences appeared to be mended, albeit slightly, when Adams told the media he was negotiating a long-term extension this offseason and Douglas claimed he wanted to Adams to be a “Jet for life.”
Whether because of the coronavirus pandemic, a cash-strapped organization or a change of heart by the team, Adams said never even saw and offer and felt disrespected by the team.
“If they would have just simply said, ‘You know what, Jamal — we’re not going to look to pay you this year, we want to keep adding players — I would have respected that more,” Adams told the New York Daily News. “I would say, ‘You know what? I respect it. As a man, I get it. I understand it’s a business.’ But for them to tell me that they’re going to pay me and then not send over a proposal after they said that’s what they were going to, that’s where we go wrong. And then for you to ignore me, that’s why I have a problem.”
Adams’ thoughts on Gase were even worse.
“I don’t feel like [Gase]’s the right leader for this organization to reach the Promised Land,” Adams said. “As a leader, what really bothers me is that he doesn’t have a relationship with everybody in the building.”
This scathing indictment alone makes it next to impossible for the Jets to keep Adams.
How can Gase, who told reporters he had a good relationship with Adams, continue to coach Adams after that comment? How can Douglas negotiate a long-term extension with a player who publicly disavowed his coach? Why would an owner – or the brother of the owner – want to give a player upwards of $15 million a year after all this?
They can’t.
This week could be the final nail in the coffin in Adams’ tenure with the Jets. There’s no going back from his comments. Money could salvage it, but the perception would look horrific for Douglas and the Jets. Winning might change Adams’ mind, too, but that would still mean Adams had to practice with and engage with people who the world knows he doesn’t respect.
Before this week, it was easy to see the Jets sitting back and doing nothing with Adams. He’s under contract for two more years, still in his prime and the new collective bargaining agreement makes it next to impossible for Adams to hold out. He could take a page out of Jalen Ramsey’s playbook with an overexaggerated injury, but the Jets proved this past season with Kelechi Osemele that they don’t always believe players with the severity of injuries.
The trade request was the first strike by Adams to shift leverage back onto his side. This week’s comments were the second strike. Now, as much as the Jets reportedly didn’t want to do it, the team needs to trade Adams.