Jets’ Davante Adams Hopes to Catch Aaron Rodgers’ 500th Touchdown Pass Soon

Davante Adams of the New York Jets runs after a catch against Jaylen McCollough of the Los Angeles Rams at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Dec. 22. Luke Hales/Getty Images

New York Jets wide receiver Davante Adams hopes to create an unforgettable moment with quarterback Aaron Rodgers in an otherwise forgettable season.

Rodgers needs one more touchdown pass to reach 500, which would put him on a short list with four other quarterbacks. Adams hopes to grab it when the Jets (4–11) face the Buffalo Bills (12–3) in Week 17.

“Obviously, I'd love to,” Adams told reporters on Friday. “I got 200, I got 400, so it would be dope to get 500 as well.”

Rodgers and Adams connected for No. 200 when they played for the Green Bay Packers in 2014, and they connected again for No. 400 in 2020. The duo played together in Green Bay from 2014 to 2021 before Adams reunited with Rodgers this season in New York.

“We’ve had some special connections in the past, so it'd be great,” Adams said. “And, obviously, it would be a big, big thing for him. Not that he needs more accolades and more milestones, but you might as well keep racking them up while you can.”

Rodgers has a storied career with a Super Bowl win, four MVP awards, five All-Pro honors, and 10 Pro Bowl appearances. He led the league in passer rating four times and touchdowns twice along the way.

If Rodgers adds touchdown No. 500, he will become the second former Packer to achieve the feat but in a different uniform. Brett Favre, 508 touchdowns, did it with the Minnesota Vikings in 2010 after a long tenure with the Packers and brief stint with the Jets.

Other quarterbacks in the 500 club include Tom Brady at 649, Drew Brees at 571, and Peyton Manning at 539. How far up the ladder Rodgers will climb remains to be seen as questions linger over his future.

Rodgers, 41, told The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt that he will spend some time after the season to decide on what’s next “unless I get released right away.” While Rodgers has a year left on his three-year, $112.5 million deal with the Jets, he hasn’t delivered the desired results.

Rodgers missed almost all of the 2023 season due to an Achilles injury in Week 1. He hasn’t turned around the Jets this season in his return despite a 62.8 percent completion rate for 3,511 yards and 24 touchdowns versus eight interceptions.

Trading for Adams didn’t make enough of a difference either as the Jets slid out of the playoff race. Adams has 56 catches for 719 yards and six touchdowns with the Jets after just 18 catches for 209 yards and a touchdown with the Las Vegas Raiders.

While Rodgers could set a big touchdown mark on Sunday, Adams wants to keep his four-year streak of 1,000-yard seasons going. Adams needs just 72 yards to hit that mark.

“It would be a crying shame not to be able to get [1,000 yards],” Adams said on Friday.