Two years ago, there was an annoying online battle between Green Bay Packers and New York Jets fans. Who had the leverage? But see how fast things can change. Now, both teams could do the unimaginable and negotiate another big trade. It's a crazy idea, I know, but it could actually make sense for both sides.

Jaire Alexander for Davante Adams. Straight up.

It's a complex deal because it would involve adjusted contracts for the two players, most likely, but at least there's no beef between the two front offices since the Jets have fired general manager Joe Douglas and replaced him with former Denver Broncos assistant GM Darren Mougey.

Why it makes sense for the Packers

Whether they admit it or not, the Packers do need a top wide receiver after how the 2024 season shook out. Adams is 32, so it's hard to project that his production would be so impressive as it was during the final years of his first stint in Green Bay.

However, he is still a very effective offensive weapon. In 11 games for the Jets, the receiver had 67 catches for 854 yards, and seven touchdowns. Extrapolating those numbers for a 17-game sample, that would be 103 catches for 1,319 yards, and 10 touchdowns. This is crazy good still, and much more than what the Packers have had since Davante was traded away.

It might not be a long-term solution based on Adams' age, but without the prohibitive cost of a trade, Brian Gutekunst would still have capital to go get younger receivers in the draft. This is especially important because Christian Watson will miss the start of the season with an ACL injury, and both Watson and Romeo Doubs are entering the final years of their rookie deals.

Why it makes sense for the Jets

The Jets have Sauce Gardner, and he's one of the top cornerbacks in the game. But the situation beyond that is concerning. DJ Reed, Isaiah Oliver, Kendall Sheffield, and Brandin Echols are all hitting free agency.

Beyond Sauce, the cornerback room has Michael Carter II, Qwan’tez Stiggers, Jarrick Bernard-Converse, and Tre Swilling. Jaire Alexander would be a clear upgrade over these players, and Gardner gives them some level of flexibility in the case Alexander misses games with injuries.

And if/when Jaire is healthy, the Jets would easily have the best cornerback duo in football. Last season, Gardner allowed a 79.3 passer rating when targeted. Alexander allowed a 79.9 passer rating. They would have the potential to transform everyone into a bunch of bad quarterbacks.

How it would work

Here's the challenge. And let's start with the Jets. Financially, it's totally feasible for New York even without any type of contract adjustment. Right now, the Jets have $23.86 million in projected cap space, and they would open $30 million by trading Davante Adams away. So by absorbing Jaire's $17.5 million salary, they would still open $12.5 million overall.

The bigger question is if they would want to absorb this much of a salary for a player who's missed half of his games over the past four years. The answer is probably no, so Jaire would have to agree to some sort of renegotiation. Maybe it's a simple paycut, maybe it's a paycut in which Alexander would get the money back based on per-game incentives.

For Davante, it would have to be a whole new contract. Right now, he's under contract for two more years, but making $36.25 million in each of the seasons. That's ultimately why the Jets won't keep him.

So a trade would demand a new deal. Without any guarantees left for Adams, his representation and the Packers would sit down and design a new contract. Maybe something like a two-year, $44 million deal—he averaged $22 million per year over his first three seasons of the deal signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022.

The Packers would be better with Davante Adams. The Jets would be better with Jaire Alexander. And avoiding the open market would be good for both teams. It's a lot of moving parts, and it's difficult to imagine it really coming together, but there's no doubt that it would be a fun and intriguing outcome.

Packers’ latest offseason twist involving Jaire Alexander could reshape their plans for the 2025 season

Cornerback is slated to make $17.5 million this upcoming season