History made: Seahawks’ Jamal Adams sets NFL record for sacks by DB

In just his ninth game of the 2020 season, star Seahawks safety Jamal Adams has made history.

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With Adams’ second-down sack of Jets quarterback Sam Darnold in the second quarter of a 40-3 win Sunday, he now has the most sacks by a defensive back in a single season, breaking a record set by Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson, who had eight sacks in 2005.

With a sack earlier this drive, @Seahawks S @Prez set the record for most sacks by a DB since they became an official stat in 1982. #GoHawks

— Seahawks PR (@seahawksPR) December 13, 2020

An offseason trade acquisition by Seattle, Adams entered Sunday’s contest with 7.5 sacks despite missing four whole games and the second half of another contest due to a groin injury. Despite missing that much time, Adams quickly passed his career-high of 6.5 sacks that he had last season.

What likely makes setting the record even more sweet is that it’s been a goal of Adams’, and he did it against his former team, the New York Jets, with a sack of his friend and former teammate in Darnold.

Adams was asked Friday about the potential of setting the record against his former team. He made it clear that it was more important to get that record than to set it against any particular team.

“Obviously that has been on my mind, breaking the record. I said I was going to do it last year and I failed, and I always told myself that whenever I put my mind to something I’m going to get it done. That’s just how I’m wired,” he told reporters at his Friday press conference. “It doesn’t matter what team is out there, it’s the next game.”

While Adams did admit that setting it against his old team would be fun, he said that a win is more important.

“Obviously we’re playing against the Jets and that is my former team,” he said. “Will it be sweet? Yes, of course. But at the end of the day I’m going out there to continue to do my job, continue to make plays for the team and ultimately come out victorious. That’s what we’re shooting for.”

The Jets traded Adams and a fourth-round pick to Seattle for two first-round picks, a third-round pick and safety Bradley McDougald in July. The trade was scrutinized from the start as most considered that price too high for a safety. Adams has shown he can be a top pass rusher as he leads the Seahawks in sacks, but there have been some questions about his coverage skills and his fit in Seattle’s defensive scheme. Adams told reporters that things are continuing to click and improve and that he and the defense are only going to get better going forward.

Related: Why the Seahawks’ trade for Adams has been worth it

“I’m really, really close. Really close. And I’m proud of myself on how well I’ve handled myself through the process of learning because it is a different defense than I’ve been in,” Adams said when asked about his comfort level. ” … I’m only going to continue to get better. Obviously early on I had some miscues, but that was just learning the defense. And obviously I’ve gone through some injuries. And as a whole, as a unit, we haven’t all been on the field, and we’re starting to get healthy, we’re starting to understand who our teammates are, where they’re going to be on this play or whatever the case may be, what’s their strengths, what’s their weaknesses.”

Adams now has the rest of the season to build on his record and potentially become the first defensive back in NFL history to record double-digit sacks – and he would do that in a maximum of 12 games played.

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