Panthers can now sign star wide receiver after astonishing release

Davante Adams is now fully in play.

New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard (10) takes care of Los Angeles Rams cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon (4) as New York Jets wide receiver Davante Adams (17) continues with the ball after completing a pass for a first down in the second quarter, Sunday, December 22, 2024, in East Rutherford. / Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers were linked to a possible trade for Davante Adams for a long time, and it's hard not to see why. They need a wide receiver, and trading for an aging veteran would've been the easiest and perhaps most cost-efficient way to address the issue in the short term.

Now, they won't even have to trade for him if they do decide to go after him. In a shocking move, though perhaps not shocking given how much they want to move on from the failed Aaron Rodgers era, Adams is officially on the market as a free agent. The New York Jets officially released him today.

Jets are releasing WR Davante Adams, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 4, 2025

That means any team can now sign him as a free agent instead of having to fork over assets. He won't cost as much as he would've in his prime, which makes him ideal for a team in Carolina's cap situation. They're not broke, but they're far from flush with cash.

Adams could pair up with Adam Thielen for another year or two as they both ride off into the sunset. They'd provide two very reliable weapons for Bryce Young and excellent mentors for 2024 rookies Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette. Even if Adams can't reach the heights he once did, you have to imagine he'd be a pretty solid addition for the development of both Young and the two wide receivers.

It would also allow them to fully focus on the defense, putting off the need to find that dominant WR1 to when they have more assets or more money to spend. Adams, Thielen, Legette, and Coker would be a more than serviceable room of wideouts in Carolina, too.

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