Pete Carroll, Seahawks Excited About Jamal Adams' Impending Return
Following their best defensive performance of the season against the 49ers, the Seahawks are looking to build off that impressive showing when they face off against the Bills in Week 9 and it’s possible they could have their All-Pro strong safety back on the field for that matchup.
Despite making a significant impact through the first two and a half games of the season, Pro Bowler Jamal Adams suffered a groin injury late in Week 3 against the Cowboys and has been sidelined for the last four contests. While it’s still early in the week, it appears there’s a strong chance he will be able to return this weekend.
Along with recovering from a strained groin, Adams also came down with an illness last week, which prevented him from being a full participant in practice. Hoping to finally turn the corner this week, coach Pete Carroll revealed the 6-foot-1 safety is now healthy and admitted he couldn’t be happier to have him back out on the field.
“He’s practicing today, he’s full go,” Carroll discussed. “I’m really excited to tell you that. He’s gotten all the way to the point – he was so close last week and would’ve had a chance last week, we couldn’t get [him] caught up. He’s ready to go, [he’s] pumped and we are too, we’re really looking forward to it.”
Though Adams will need to prove he’s ready to return to game action, this is still a massive step forward for him, especially since he’s been desperately waiting to return to the lineup throughout his recovery process. But now that he’s practicing once again, it’ll be crucial for the team to make sure the 25-year old doesn’t push himself too hard or he could risk re-injuring himself. This may explain why he was listed as a limited participant on Seattle's injury report following Wednesday's practice.
Considering Seattle’s defense has been missing key players throughout the majority of the season, adding the two-time Pro Bowler back into the mix would provide a huge boost to that group, particularly in the pass rush. Hoping he’ll be able to make up for lost time, Carroll mentioned he’s expecting the LSU standout to continue developing chemistry with teammates on the field and explained how the coaching staff will need to determine the type of rotation that'll take place at the strong safety spot.
“Really, part of this is to get Jamal [Adams] back in the fold here so he can start to work with Bobby [Wagner] again and start to establish that, and [Quinton] Dunbar, and guys he hasn’t had a chance to play with,” Carroll explained. “He hasn’t played with Jordyn Brooks much at all."
"Jamal is really just practicing for the first time in a month, although, he looks great running around and should be ok. But we’ll have to figure that out and we’ll have to weigh in how we mix the guys in the rotations.”
In three games this season, Adams has produced 23 total tackles, 14 solo tackles, 13 quarterback pressures, nine quarterback hits, three tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, one pass deflection, and a 48.1 percent pressure rate. In pass coverage, the Texas native has allowed 11 of his 15 targets, a 73.3 percent completion percentage, 209 yards, 78 yards after the catch, along with a concerning 115.3 passer rating.
Adding to the positive news regarding Seattle’s defense, newly acquired defensive end Carlos Dunlap practiced for the first time on Wednesday and is scheduled to suit up for his new squad this weekend. Though he needed to sit out last week due to the league’s COVID-19 intake protocols, Carroll doesn’t believe that’ll hinder Dunlap's ability to play against the Bills and he’s extremely happy to have another talented defensive player on his team.
“The good thing is he just took a week off, so he’s been practicing, preparing, and playing games," Carroll detailed. "So, no concern about anything other than how he handles the learning part of it, which he’s a vet and just getting through our first walk-through he handled everything right. So, I don’t see any restriction at all on him playing this week, we’ll find out during the week. But, [I’m] really excited to have him out here, he’s really pumped about being part of it.”
