Seahawks and All-Pro safety Jamal Adams agree to 4-year extension
Aug 17, 2021, 11:23 AM | Updated: 1:59 pm
Jamal Adams has reportedly agreed to a four-year deal with $38 million guaranteed. (Getty)
(Getty)
After a long negotiation period, the Seahawks have inked star safety Jamal Adams to a four-year extension that will reportedly make him the highest-paid safety in the NFL, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Heaps: Why it was time for Jamal Adams to sign Seahawks’ extension
Tthe Seahawks and Adams agreed to a four-year extension that Rapoport reported is worth $70 million. Adams also gets $38 million in guaranteed money, which according to multiple reports throughout the negotiating process was part of the holdup in Adams not signing the new deal.
The #Seahawks have agreed to terms on a large extension for star S Jamal Adams, a 4-year, $70M deal that makes him the league’s highest paid safety, I’m told. He gets $38M guaranteed, breaking the stalemate. A long time coming and well-deserved. 💰💰💰
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 17, 2021
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via ESPN Seahawks reporter Brady Henderson), Adams’ deal comes with a $20 million signing bonus and a maximum value of $72 million.
The Seahawks officially announced the extension Tuesday afternoon.
.@12s, it's OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL! ✍️@Prez is back! pic.twitter.com/1N6AJOpcSr
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) August 17, 2021
Adams, who will turn 26 in October, was the sixth overall pick in the 2017 draft by the New York Jets, and he quickly emerged as one of the best young defenders in football. After a strong rookie campaign in 2017, Adams earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2018. He followed that up with a first-team All-Pro season in 2019, which was his last year in New York.
Adams and the Jets had a falling out due to the team reportedly not wanting to negotiate a new deal with Adams, who still had two years left on his rookie deal entering the 2020 season as the team picked up his fifth-year option. That led to Adams airing many grievances with the organization publicly, including his thoughts on then-head coach Adam Gase, and resulted in a trade to the Seahawks in a blockbuster deal last summer.
In order to get Adams and a 2022 fourth-round pick, the Seahawks sent two first-round picks, a third-round pick and safety Bradley McDougald to the Jets.
Adams dealt with groin and shoulder injuries in 2020 but still made a big impact for Seattle. In 12 games, he led all Seahawks with 9.5 sacks, which set an NFL record for sacks by a defensive back in a single season. He also tallied 83 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 14 quarterback hits, a forced fumble and three pass deflections. He was named a second-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler.
This year, Adams has yet to practice during training camp and also missed Seattle’s preseason opener because he didn’t have a new deal yet. He was entering the last year of his rookie contract. Adams likely will begin practicing immediately, and when he does he will do so as the second-highest-paid defender on the team behind All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner.
With Adams’ deal done, all eyes will turn to star Seahawks left tackle Duane Brown, who like Adams has sat out practice as he seeks a new deal. Brown is entering the last year of his current contract.
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