Jamal Adams’ new contract on its way as Pete Carroll excuses him from Seahawks minicamp
A new Seahawks contract for Jamal Adams?
“It’s comin’.”
That is what coach Pete Carroll said about his All-Pro safety when he was not at mandatory minicamp when it began Tuesday at team headquarters.
Carroll said he excused Adams for this week’s work, the only three mandatory days of the NFL offseason before training camp begins at the end of July.
“He’s got a family thing that he’s working on that he needed to be there (away from Renton),” Carroll said, after he also excused lead running back Chris Carson and defensive end Aldon Smith from attending minicamp.
Adams, 25, is entering the final year of his contract the Seahawks inherited from the New York Jets in their trade of two No. 1 draft choices to New York last summer. Blitzing more than Seattle’s defensive backs had in a decade coached by Carroll and playing all over the field, Adams set an NFL record for sacks by a defensive back in a season with 9-1/2 for Seattle in 2020.
Carroll and general manager John Schneider knew when they traded for Adams 11 months ago that his contract would be expiring after 2021. They knew Adams was (and is) wanting to be the league’s highest-paid safety.
They found out Sept. 2 that cost would be above $14.75 million per season. That was the day Budda Baker signed a four-year, $59 million extension with Arizona to make him the current richest safety in the NFL.
So this isn’t a new, sudden issue fort the Seahawks to address. They’ve been addressing it for the last year.
“It’s been ongoing. And it’s been amicable throughout,” Carroll said. “We recognize that he’s a fantastic football player, and we’re in the midst of ... it’s a big contract process.
“I know he knows he’s been treated with a lot of respect. He’s been very respectful towards the club, as well. They’ve been good talks. Just hasn’t been able to get settled at this point.
“But, it’s comin’.”
Carroll said the team expects Adams to report on time and participate fully for the start of training camp.
Ryan Neal spent some of practice Tuesday in Adams’ strong-safety spot, next to Pro Bowl free safety Quandre Diggs.
That is as temporary as it sounds.
Diggs and Adams have formed an instant and tight friendship since Adams joined the Seahawks last summer. Diggs says he’s talked to Adams every day this offseason.
Asked what his level of concern is that Adams isn’t here for minicamp practices in shorts and helmets in June, Diggs didn’t hesitate.
“Zero,” Diggs said.
“I know what he’s doing. I know he’s working. I know he’s getting in the best shape. And I know he’s going to be ready to go when he gets here, you know what I mean? That’s my brother. ... I know the type of person he is. He know he has no selfishness about him, or anything like that.
“I don’t have any concern.”
Asked if he, like Carroll, expects Adams to be on the field for the start of training camp, Diggs went 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan and asserted no one is assured a future day.
“I mean, you guys will see when training camp gets here,” Diggs said. “How y’all know I’m going to be here for training camp? You don’t know. You don’t know if Pete is going to be at training camp.
“We all might not come the first day. What do you think about that?”
This story was originally published June 15, 2021 at 4:11 PM.
