Seattle Seahawks make Jamal Adams NFL’s highest-paid safety, rightfully so

The Seattle Seahawks enjoyed the benefits of Jamal Adams’ services and have rewarded the safety with a hefty contract extension. 

Upon arriving in Seattle from New York, safety Jamal Adams was considered a unique specimen among his position, given his size and physical traits. After a year in which Adams helped the Seahawks to a division title, the franchise rewarded him, according to Ian Rapoport, with a four-year, $70 million deal that makes him the league’s highest-paid safety, with $38 million in guaranteed money.

Adams certainly earned his money, and this deal comes out days after a reported stalemate between him and the Seahawks organization. Now, Seattle locks in a key player of their defense for the foreseeable future.

Additionally, this allows the Seahawks to utilize him in more complex defensive schemes further and have his presence as a potential threat to the quarterback be a beneficiary for his teammates to capitalize on turnover opportunities.

And finally, given how the 49ers and Rams will likely be contenders for the division title, and Arizona likely to battle for one of now three wild-card slots, Seattle retains a critical piece that can help avoid such an occurrence and remain atop the NFC West.

Jamal Adams is listed as a safety, but his versatility makes him a hybrid player and worthy of such a significant extension.

Before coming into the NFL, Adams was a stay safety at LSU and received multiple accolades, including a First Team All-SEC in 2016. On draft day, Adams was selected sixth overall by the New York Jets. From 2017-19, Adams was a regular in the Pro Bowl and was ranked among the league’s best safeties.

However, issues within the Jets organization led Adams to demand a trade. He ultimately headed to Seattle for the cost of two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and safety Bradley McDougald. Adams immediately paid dividends for the Seahawks, setting an NFL record for the most sacks in a single season by a defensive back in NFL history with 9.5.

Seattle is fortunate to have one of their best players locked up for the future, but now all eyes turn to general manager John Schneider to see if he can continue to stack up on talent to keep pace in the NFC West and brave the potential threat from the other three teams.