'We Need Him': Seahawks Expecting Jamal Adams to Return vs. Titans

When the Seattle Seahawks captured a signature 20-17 upset win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football at Lumen Field, they did so without safety Jamal Adams, who not only wasn't in uniform but wasn't even at the stadium.

Ruled inactive 90 minutes before opening kickoff after receiving a questionable designation on Saturday's final injury report, Seattle opted to sit Adams and the veteran defender wasn't in attendance to cheer his teammates on. However, according to coach Pete Carroll on his weekly radio show via Seattle Sports 710, the team didn't have any issues with him not being at the stadium.

"I think he was at home," Carroll said of Adams' absence. "It was hard on him. We talked about it and how he was going to deal with it. And he didn't need to be there."

Though Adams has started nine games since returning from the PUP list in October, the Seahawks have had to closely monitor his workload due to lingering knee soreness stemming from a torn quad tendon that cost him all but one game in the 2022 season. He has consistently been on the injury report each week, often either limited or sitting out practice entirely, including not practicing at all last week.

As part of the team's maintenance plan for Adams, he has sat out two games since being activated in Week 4, including Monday's win over Philadelphia. He also didn't suit up in a Week 11 road loss in Los Angeles before returning to action on a short week against San Francisco a few days later.

With him sidelined on Monday night, Julian Love played all 69 defensive snaps alongside Quandre Diggs and turned in a career night, intercepting Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts twice in the fourth quarter. Over the past two weeks, the former Notre Dame standout has picked off three passes and forced a fumble, turning into a one-man turnover-creating wrecking crew.

Speaking candidly about Adams' situation on Tuesday morning, Carroll indicated those decisions have been made by design with the goal of getting him through the season and potentially having him available for the playoffs if Seattle can earn a wild card spot in the final three weeks.

As for next week on Christmas Eve, with Seattle tasked with trying to slow down bruising running back Derrick Henry on the road, Carroll expects Adams will be back in action against Tennessee to help the cause in a game where his strengths could make a significant difference.

"We need him," Carroll said. "I think this is going to maximize his chance of finishing the season."

Upon Adams' return to the field, it will be interesting to see how the Seahawks decide to use him along with Love and Diggs. The trio logged 38 snaps together in a Week 14 road loss to the 49ers, but Devon Witherspoon's hip injury suffered in the first quarter likely contributed most to that increased usage of three-safety looks. Depending on the rookie's own availability next weekend, Carroll and defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt may not be as inclined to use such packages as frequently in upcoming games.

Given how well Love has played in recent weeks, including snagging a highlight reel-worthy game-ending interception against Hurts on Monday night, Seattle would be foolish to not have him on the field. This begs the question on whether or not Adams may need to accept a smaller role in sub packages for the remainder of the season, especially considering his performance hasn't been up to his lofty standards as of late.

In his previous two games, Adams allowed a game-winning touchdown in coverage to Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson and a 54-yard touchdown to 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel, admittedly getting caught flat-footed on the latter mistake. He also missed a bunch of tackles in those two games, struggling to get ball carriers to the ground as the Seahawks allowed more than 70 points in those two losses.

Uncharacteristically, Carroll called out Adams for "bad ball" on his radio show in the wake of the loss in Santa Clara, saying he hadn't executed properly as he had been coached to against some of the 49ers favorite concepts.

Such comments may not have sat well with Adams, who hasn't responded well to criticism in the past, including on social media. Earlier this month, after Jets reporter Conner Hughes re-posted a video of the safety getting beat by Ferguson for a touchdown in coverage with a "yikes" caption, he dished out the same "yikes" while posting a picture of the reporter's wife.

As was apparently the case this week, Carroll had a meeting with Adams to address the situation and the coach felt it had been taken care of. But rather than apologize and move on, the player expressed no remorse for his actions, telling reporters "when others go low, I go lower.”

Based on Carroll's latest comments, however, the coach and player don't appear to be at odds. In fact, they seem to be on the same page. On Tuesday, Carroll elaborated further on the issues Adams has dealt with trying to manage chronic knee pain, which was expected in the aftermath of a very difficult injury to return from, acknowledging that the process has weighed heavily on the defender throughout the season.

Sympathizing with Adams' situation and understanding how badly he wants to play, Carroll has been doing whatever he can to help him pull through it and make the most of challenging circumstances. Keeping that in mind, he didn't have any issue with the player opting to stay home on Monday night and he's looking forward to working to get him back on the field in Nashville next Sunday.

"It's been so difficult on him. He has not been able to get all the way where he's got everything feeling right. And so we've been working with him all season, working the recovery versus the preparation mode, and it's been hard. This is a very, very difficult injury and he's doing everything he can. He had an extraordinary offseason to make this, to get this far. We're just trying to help him be as powerful and strong as he can be and match him with the [game] plan."

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