Seahawks WATCH: How’s Jamal Adams Look in Injury Rehab?
While he still has plenty of obstacles to overcome this offseason before returning to the gridiron, Seahawks safety Jamal Adams appears to be making steady progress rehabbing from a torn quad tendon that cost him the majority of the 2022 campaign.
“a test of faith!” Adams called the process.
Posting several videos on social media to demonstrate his gradually improving mobility and strength, Adams has ramped up his activity in the rehab process. Along with doing side shuffles on agility hurdles without a hitch, he also shared short clips of him showing off quick feet on a single stair and executing lunges in the weight room.
Adams, 27, entered his third season in Seattle with lofty expectations following the promotion of defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt and arrival of respected assistant coach Sean Desai. Seeing action as a pseudo-linebacker in nickel and dime packages during camp to take advantage of his skills in the box and rushing the passer blitzing, the sky looked to be the limit in a hybrid 3-4 scheme catered to his unique strengths.
Unfortunately, after undergoing shoulder surgery each of the previous two seasons, Adams' injury misfortunes prevented the Seahawks from seeing what he could do in the new system. In a season-opening win over the Broncos, he hobbled off the field in the first half after nearly sacking former teammate Russell Wilson, exiting on a cart moments later and immediately being ruled out from returning.
Two days later, Adams landed on injured reserve and he underwent surgery later that week, abruptly ending his season before it could even get started.
Without Adams, the Seahawks were able to get by with Ryan Neal flourishing in his absence, as the veteran safety earned All-Pro votes. Still, without using the injury as an excuse, coach Pete Carroll admitted losing the star defender for a prolonged period of time forced the coaching staff to make substantial schematic adjustments on the fly, which led to another slow start on defense.
"The last two years, it really did affect us," Carroll said. "We had a real plan how we wanted to utilize him. He's a terrific ball player and he would be a big factor and the design of the scheme was all set up with that in mind. But I'm not blaming anything on that, we'll take advantage of it when we have him again and he'll make the most of it."
Once the season ended following a 41-24 wild card loss to San Francisco in mid-January, Carroll reiterated to reporters that while Adams was on schedule in his recovery and "starting to move," his timeline remains unknown. Without offering specifics, reading between the tea leaves, he likely won't participate in Seattle's offseason program and may not quite be ready for training camp either.
Much will be riding on Adams' recovery in regard to his long-term future with the Seahawks. After signing a then-record breaking extension prior to the 2021 season worth $70 million, he will earn a base salary of $11 million and carry an $18.1 million cap hit in 2023, making it extremely unlikely the organization would move on from him and absorb a hefty dead cap hit.
Ultimately, Seattle hopes to see Adams, who they acquired from the Jets for a pair of first round picks, return to his disruptive 2020 form when he set an NFL record with 9.5 sacks as a defensive back and earned Second-Team All-Pro recognition. Heck, they would even settle for him returning to 2021 level when he found his groove in coverage with two interceptions in a three-game span before re-injuring his shoulder.
If Adams can stay on the field after missing 24 games in the past three seasons with a variety of injuries and elevate his game back to the level he's accustomed to, he should remain part of the franchise's long-term plans.
However, if Adams doesn't return to his prior All-Pro form or continues to struggle staying on the field next season, the Seahawks may have to strongly consider pulling the plug. Releasing him after the 2023 season would immediately open up nearly $10 million in cap space, providing a prime opportunity to opt-out on a major investment that has not come close to paying off for the franchise as anticipated to this point.
Based on the latest clips shared with the public, Adams still has long, winding road to traverse before he's donning a helmet and shoulder pads and time will tell how well he performs once he's back on the field given the nature of his injury. But there's no doubt it's an encouraging sign that he's moving well in mid-February, suggesting he has a great chance to be ready to roll for the new season and re-establish himself as one of the NFL's premier safeties.
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