.jpg) Adams with theLas Vegas Raiders in 2025 | |||||||||||||||||
| No. 33 – Las Vegas Raiders | |||||||||||||||||
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| Positions | Safety •Linebacker | ||||||||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1995-10-17)October 17, 1995 (age 30) Lewisville, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 220 lb (100 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school | Hebron (Carrollton, Texas) | ||||||||||||||||
| College | LSU (2014–2016) | ||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2017: 1st round, 6th overall pick | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 7, 2025 | |||||||||||||||||
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Jamal Lee Adams (born October 17, 1995) is an American professionalfootballlinebacker andsafety for theLas Vegas Raiders of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theLSU Tigers, and was selected by theNew York Jets sixth overall in the2017 NFL draft. Adams quickly became an impactful starter for the Jets, making thePro Bowl twice and being named anAll-Pro. In 2021, Adams signed a four-year extension with theSeattle Seahawks valued at $72 million, with a $20 million signing bonus and $38 million guaranteed, making him the highest paid safety in the NFL at that time.[1] Adams has also played for theTennessee Titans and theDetroit Lions.
Adams attendedHebron High School inCarrollton, Texas. While there, he playedhigh school football. During his final two years, he had 138 tackles and seveninterceptions on defense and 20touchdowns on offense. In his senior year, Hebron finished 8–4 on the season, advancing to theUIL 5A Division II Area final atAT&T Stadium, where they lost 42–21 toCedar Hill.[2]
Adams was rated byScout.com as a five-star recruit and among the top 10 recruits in his class.[3] He committed toLouisiana State University (LSU) to playcollege football.[4][5]
Adams played in all 13 games with two starts as atrue freshman at LSU in 2014 and had 66 tackles and asack.[6][7] As a sophomore, he was a second-teamAll-Southeastern Conference selection as a safety by theAssociated Press (AP) and SEC coaches.[8][9] As a junior, Adams was named to the AP All-SEC first-team.[10]
On January 6, 2017, Adams announced that he would forgo his senior season and enter the2017 NFL draft.[11]
| Season | Team | GP | Defense | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tckl | TfL | Sck | Int | FF | |||
| 2014 | LSU | 12 | 66 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | LSU | 12 | 67 | 5.5 | 0.0 | 4 | 1 |
| 2016 | LSU | 12 | 76 | 7.5 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 |
| Career | 36 | 209 | 18.0 | 2.0 | 5 | 2 | |
Coming out of college, Adams was invited to theNFL Combine and performed all the available drills. On May 4, 2017, Adams attended LSU'spro day and opted to run the 40-yard dash (4.33s) and was able to improve on his combine numbers significantly.[12] He was projected to be a first-round pick by the majority of analysts and scouts.Sports Illustrated, DraftScout.com,Pro Football Focus, andESPN ranked Adams the top safety in the draft.[13][14][15]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Jamal Adams' NFL Combine workout | |
| Jamal Adams' 40-yard dash | |
| Adams' 40-yard dash at LSU Pro Day |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | Wonderlic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft11+3⁄4 in (1.82 m) | 214 lb (97 kg) | 33+3⁄8 in (0.85 m) | 9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) | 4.56 s | 1.60 s | 2.67 s | 4.13 s | 6.96 s | 31.5 in (0.80 m) | 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) | 18 reps | 11 |
| All values from 2017NFL Combine[16][17][18] | ||||||||||||
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| Jets select Jamal Adams sixth overall | |
| Jamal Adams draft profile |
TheNew York Jets selected Adams in the first round (sixth overall) of the2017 NFL draft. He was the first of two safeties drafted by the Jets, along withMarcus Maye (39th overall).[19] He was the first defensive back selected in 2017.[20]
On July 20, 2017, the Jets signed Adams to a fully guaranteed four-year, $22.25 million contract that included a $14.32 millionsigning bonus.[21][22][23]
Adams enteredtraining camp competing againstCalvin Pryor and fellow rookieMarcus Maye for a role as a starting safety.[24] Head coachTodd Bowles named Adams the starting strong safety to begin the regular season, alongside free safety Maye.[25]
Adams made his professional regular season debut and first career start in the Jets season-opener versus theBuffalo Bills and recorded five combined tackles and deflected a pass in a 21–12 loss. Adams made his first career tackle on running backMike Tolbert after his 13-yard run on the Bills' first drive.[26] On September 24, Adams recorded two solo tackles, broke up a pass, and made his first career sack on quarterbackJay Cutler during a 20–6 win against theMiami Dolphins.[27] In Week 17, he collected a season-high 10 combined tackles (three solo) and a pass deflection in the Jets' 26–6 loss to theNew England Patriots.[28] Adams finished his rookie season in2017 with 83 combined tackles (63 solo), six pass deflections, and two sacks in 16 games and 16 starts.[29] He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.[30]
Adams was named a captain on the Jets' roster for the2018 season.[31] He got his first career interception off ofMatt Cassel at the Jets' season opener versus theDetroit Lions. The Jets ultimately won the game 48–17.[32] Adams finished his second season with 115 tackles, 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles with one recovered fumble, and one interception and started all 16 games.[33]
On December 18, Adams was named aPro Bowl selection for the first time in his career.[34] Adams was named Defensive MVP of the game.[35][36] Adams became notorious after an incident where he tackled the Patriots mascot at a 2019 Pro Bowl practice. This was due to the fierce rivalry of theJets and Patriots. Adams apologized and let the Patriots mascot tackle him back.[37]
Adams was also named Second-team AP All-Pro during this season. On December 28, Adams was named Curtis Martin Team MVP.[38]
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Before the2019 season, Adams was ranked 37th among his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 2019 list.[39]
On September 18, 2019, Adams was fined $21,000 for a hit he made onBaker Mayfield onMonday Night Football against theCleveland Browns in Week 3.[40][41] In Week 3 versus the Patriots, Adams recorded a 61-yard pick six off rookie quarterbackJarrett Stidham in the 30–14 loss. This was Adams' first interception of the season and his first career pick six.[42] On October 10, Adams had his previous fine rescinded after winning an appeal.[43]
During the NFL trade deadline, Adams voiced his displeasure regarding his name coming up in trade talks. He stated that theLos Angeles Rams would never tradeAaron Donald and the Patriots would never tradeTom Brady. Adams also said that when he found out that he was close to being traded, he would have loved to play for theDallas Cowboys because he was from Dallas and because of his close relationship to former Cowboys' wide receiverMichael Irvin. In the end, Adams revealed that although he was hurt to be involved in trade talks, he was still excited to play for the Jets.[44]
In Week 10 against theNew York Giants, Adams recorded a team-high nine tackles and sackedDaniel Jones twice, one of which was a strip sack that he forced and returned for a 25-yard touchdown, as the Jets won 34–27 win.[45] He was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance.[46] During Week 11 versus theWashington Redskins, Adams finished with a career high three sacks as the Jets won 34–17.[47] During a game versus theCincinnati Bengals, Adams suffered an ankle injury at the start of the game.[48] He played the entire game and had to miss the next two weeks due to this injury. He came back from his injury in Week 16 against thePittsburgh Steelers in the Jets' 16–10 win.[49] At the end of the season, he was named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl and was honored with his first career First-team AP selection.[50][51] Adams also earned the Curtis Martin Team MVP for the second straight year.[52]
On April 17, 2020, it was reported that Adams would skip the entirety of the voluntary virtual offseason program without a contract extension.[53] On April 27, 2020, the Jets picked up the fifth-year option on Adams' contract.[54] On June 12, 2020, Adams replied to anInstagram post stating that the Jets were "A lot of talk no action" regarding his desire for a contract extension.[55] On June 18, 2020, Adams officially requested to be traded from the Jets. Adams created a list of teams, including his hometown Cowboys, that he would welcome to be traded to.[56] The following week, Jets' head coachAdam Gase and defensive coordinatorGregg Williams expressed that they wanted to keep Adams.[57] Adams was interviewed by theNew York Daily News in July 2020, and he made critical remarks towards his head coach Adam Gase, saying that he was not the right leader for the Jets moving forward and that he did not build good relationships with people in the building. Adams also voiced his displeasure with how general managerJoe Douglas treated him during talks of a potential contract extension.[58] He was ranked 27th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2020.[59]
On July 25, 2020, Adams, along with a fourth-round pick in the2022 NFL draft, was traded to theSeattle Seahawks in exchange for safetyBradley McDougald, first- and third-round picks in the2021 NFL draft, and a first-round selection (later used to selectGarrett Wilson) in the2022 NFL draft.[60]
Adams made his debut with the Seahawks in Week 1 against theAtlanta Falcons. During the game, Adams led the Seahawks with 12 tackles (8 solo) and recorded his first sack of the season onMatt Ryan in the 38–25 win.[61] In the following week's game against the Patriots onSunday Night Football, Adams recorded nine tackles and sackedCam Newton once during the 35–30 win.[62]
In Week 3 against the Cowboys, Adams suffered a groin injury and did not return. Adams came back from injury in Week 9 against the Bills. During the game, Adams recorded 1.5 sacks onJosh Allen during the 44–34 loss.[63] In the following week's game against the Rams, Adams recorded two sacks onJared Goff, including a strip sack that was recovered by the Seahawks, during the 23–16 loss.[64]
In Week 12 against thePhiladelphia Eagles onMonday Night Football, Adams led the team with nine tackles and recorded one sack onCarson Wentz during the 23–17 win.[65]
In Week 14 against his former team, the Jets, Adams recorded a sack on former teammateSam Darnold during the 40–3 win. This was Adams' 8.5th sack on the season, breaking the NFL record for most sacks in a season by a defensive back.[66] Against the Washington Football Team, Adams expanded his hold on the record with another sack, bringing his season total to 9.5 sacks.
Adams was named to his third straightPro Bowl on December 21, 2020. Adams and teammateQuandre Diggs became the first safety tandem to make the Pro Bowl together since former Seahawks safetiesEarl Thomas andKam Chancellor in2015.[67]
On August 17, 2021, Adams signed a four-year deal with the Seahawks. Adams' deal consists of a top value of $72 million, with a $20 million signing bonus and $38 million guaranteed, making him the highest paid safety in NFL history at the time.[68] Against theGreen Bay Packers on November 14, 2021, Adams recorded his first interception of the season off ofAaron Rodgers in a 17–0 loss.[69] Adams suffered a torn labrum during the Seahawks Week 13 win over theSan Francisco 49ers, and was placed oninjured reserve on December 10, 2021.[70][71]
During the Seahawks Week 1 win against theDenver Broncos, Adams suffered a tornquad tendon in the second quarter that ended his season.[72][73] He was placed on injured reserve on September 15, 2022.[74]
In the 2023 season, Adams played in and started nine games. He finished with 48 total tackles (34 solo) and two passes defended.[75]
On March 5, 2024, Adams was released by the Seahawks.[76]
On July 11, 2024, Adams signed a one-year contract with theTennessee Titans.[77] He missed the season opener due to a hip injury; after playing 20 snaps in 3 games, the Titans placed Adams on the reserve/non-football injury list on October 12.[78] Adams subsequently requested to be released from the Titans, and the team granted his request on October 17, 2024.[79]
On December 1, 2024, Adams was signed to theDetroit Lions practice squad.[80] Adams would play in two games for the Lions, in which he recorded three tackles. He was released on January 1, 2025.[81]
On July 22, 2025, Adams signed with theLas Vegas Raiders.[82] This reunited him with head coachPete Carroll, who was his head coach during his time at Seattle.[83] During training camp, Carroll announced that Adams would be switching positions from safety to linebacker.[84][85]
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Comb | Solo | Ast | Sck | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | TD | ||
| 2017 | NYJ | 16 | 16 | 83 | 63 | 20 | 2.0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2018 | NYJ | 16 | 16 | 115 | 86 | 29 | 3.5 | 12 | 1 | 38 | 38.0 | 38 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | NYJ | 14 | 14 | 75 | 61 | 14 | 6.5 | 7 | 1 | 61 | 61.0 | 61 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020 | SEA | 12 | 12 | 83 | 59 | 24 | 9.5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | SEA | 12 | 12 | 87 | 56 | 31 | 0.0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | SEA | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | SEA | 9 | 9 | 48 | 34 | 14 | 0.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | TEN | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DET | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Career | 85 | 83 | 501 | 366 | 135 | 21.5 | 36 | 4 | 99 | 24.8 | 61 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 1 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Comb | Solo | Ast | Sck | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | TD | ||
| 2020 | SEA | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | SEA | 0 | 0 | Did not play due to injury | ||||||||||||
| Career | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Most sacks by a defensive back in a season: 9.5 (2020)[86]
Adams is the son of Michelle andGeorge Adams.[87] His father, George, played in theNational Football League (NFL) from 1985 to 1991 as a running back.[88] Adams is apescatarian.[89]
Claiborne, Jamal Adams and Trumaine Johnson also made interceptions. For Adams, the 2017 first-round pick, it was the first of his career.
