“Football is tough, man.”

After sending a first- and second-round pick for Adams in March 2022, the plan was that then-head coach Josh McDaniels, then-GM Dave Ziegler and Adams' best friend Derek Carr would want the all-time winning team. None of this went according to plan.

Now all parties are gone.

With his hamstring now healthy, Adams should play a lot for the Jets this week, with a familiar system and his good friend Aaron Rodgers at QB. Adams restructured his current contract for 2024, but left the 2025 and 2026 contract years (worth $35.64 million per year) alone.

For him to stay with the Jets next year, they need an overhaul – so Adams can have a say in what happens in 2025 and beyond. Those will be decisions for another day.

While Davis declined to explain what went wrong that led to a trade, saying it was a matter of football decisions, he did say, “Unfortunately, it didn't work out. That’s the only way I can sum it up.”

Davis was close to Adams, as he was one of the leaders Davis spoke to while trying to get a feel for the locker room and the general feel of the players. Among the others were Josh Jacobs (now with the Packers) and Maxx Crosby.

But the football team dictated a trade, thanks largely to Adams telling the team that he would rather play elsewhere and that he wanted to play for the Jets, and this week's wild activity was the result. It has also led to speculation about Crosby, although sources say the Raiders have not received any calls from him. And even if they did, a potential trade appears to be a non-starter.

Speaking to The Athletic this week, Davis responded to the rumors in a way he rarely does.

“My policy is to never respond to any of these things because then you get trapped in this black hole,” Davis told the outlet, before saying, “It's just not happening.”

As for Adams, Davis said he will speak with GM Tom Telesco and his staff, as well as members of Antonio Pierce's coaching staff. But he leaves it up to them to make the decisions.

“Listen, I'm going to consult with them, I'm going to be a devil's advocate,” Davis told NFL.com. “But they make the decisions. They have the authority to make the decisions.”

There is hardly anything more effective than this week. Adams' situation was a saga, with his hamstring injury, a win over the Browns, a trade request and then weeks of uncertainty.

Davis was asked how the locker room handled the departure of one of its best players.

“You would have to be in the locker room and understand what the message is,” Davis said. “You would have to ask her. But I am confident that there will be no problems. Yes, I know the players agree with that.”