Jamal Adams practices, Devon Witherspoon full go expecting Seahawks debut in Detroit
This time last year, Jamal Adams was visiting with teammates while in a wheelchair.
Wednesday, he was practicing with them.
The three-time Pro Bowl and one-time All-Pro safety practiced with the Seahawks for the first time in 12 months. That’s how long he’s been sidelined by a torn quadriceps tendon he got blitzing Russell Wilson in Seattle’s 2022 opener against the Denver Broncos.
Adams isn’t all the way back. He’s still limited to working with scout-team defensive plays against the starting offense, coach Pete Carroll said. He continues doing morning walkthrough practices with the starting defense going over schemes in his incremental process to getting back to being game-ready.
That’s not likely to come Sunday when the Seahawks (0-1) play at the Detroit Lions (1-0). It may not be next week when Seattle hosts Carolina.
But Adams is closer to playing than he’s been in a full year.
“We’ll be careful with Jamal’s reps. It’s the first time on the field,” Carroll said. “But we’ll get him out there and he’ll work with the service team (Wednesday) and start his way back.”
Devon Witherspoon debut expected
Devon Witherspoon was full go practicing Wednesday.
The Seahawks are planning on the rookie defensive back and first-round draft choice to make his NFL debut Sunday against the Lions.
“I’m excited,” Witherspoon said.
“I feel like I’m ready. I still have to get the jitters out for my first game, though. ...I just have to go out there and play.”
Signs are it will be at left cornerback. That’s where Tre Brown started and struggled in Seattle’s opening loss to the Los Angeles Rams. It’s where Michael Jack son started and struggeld during the preseason.
And that’s where Witherspoon starred for years at the University of Illinois, which is the reason the Seahawks made him the fifth pick in this year’s draft.
Carroll, defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt and secondary coach Karl Scott moved Witherspoon inside to nickel defensive back during mincamp in June and again in the first days of training camp. Witherspoon called that transition “smooth.”
It happened before he injured his hamstring Aug. 7.
Wednesday was his first full practice since then.
“It’s been frustrating,” he said. “It’s just been bothering how long it’s been going on. It’s been lingering. But I just trust in the process.”
It’s the same leg as a hamstring issue he brought with him from Illinois, but, he said, a different injury.
“I feel like I’m ready to go,” he said.
“It’s been a test of my patience...it’s been prolonged, longer than I thought it would be.”
The team now wants to see Witherspoon string three consecutive practices without setbacks to the hamstring before deciding he’s ready to play in defense that could use him Sunday against the flying Lions.
“I’d like to see him make it through the week and have a good practice...and we’ll go to the next day and see how it goes. I would love him to be comfortable on game day,” Carroll said.
“This is his first chance. This is his opener, legit opener. Excited to see him. He’s got such a great spirit that he adds to our club.
“I can’t wait for him to be contributing on the field so they can feel him, and the players can play off of him because he’s got a real way about him.”
This story was originally published September 13, 2023 at 4:05 PM.
