12s can breathe sigh of relief as Jamal Adams leaves for the Tennessee Titans

So much for bringing back Jamal Adams on a cheap deal. The former Seahawk signed a one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans on Thursday morning, as reported by ESPN.

Adams, who Seattle acquired in 2020 for two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and Bradley McDougald, officially moves on after it was speculated the safety could return to Seattle on a team-friendly deal. Adams was released, alongside fellow starting safety Quandre Diggs back in March. Adams was a cap casualty as he was set to make over $26 million in 2024.

Releasing Adams was a necessary and wise move from a business perspective, but a disappointing one nonetheless, as Adams' potential in Seattle will always be one of the biggest "what ifs."

Former Seahawks safety Jamal Adams reportedly signing with the Tennessee Titans

Adams is a former All-Pro selection and was the sixth overall selection by the New York Jets in the 2017 NFL Draft. After three seasons in New York, Adams was traded to Seattle and subsequently signed a four-year deal worth $72 million in 2021. However, Adams' play largely dropped off after only a single productive season in Seattle.

A laundry list of injuries, issues in coverage, and a series of off-the-field problems signaled the end of his career in Seattle after four underwhelming seasons.

Seahawks general manager John Schneider continues to defend the trade, even up to this day. Schneider rationalizes the trade by pointing out that 2020 and 2021 were COVID years, meaning NFL teams had minimal intel on the prospects in the 2020 and 2021 drafts. Further, Adams was effective in his first year in Seattle, racking up 9.5 sacks and earning a Pro Bowl nod.

However, his next three seasons were all marred by injuries that kept him off the field. After Adams' 2021 season was cut short due to injury, he went down with a season-ending injury in week one of the 2022 season and was held out until week five of the 2023 season, where he ended up concussed and out of the game in the first quarter.

When healthy, Adams was a fantastic box safety for Seattle, stifling the run and getting after the quarterback. However, his struggles in coverage were glaring at times. This could be attributable to Seattle's coaches misusing the safety, but he was below average as a cover safety, nonetheless.

His most obvious downfall in Seattle was his inability to remain healthy, which at the end of the day, is nobody's fault. Adams was a fantastic player all the way through 2020 before the injuries began to stack up. He plays a very physical brand of football and, unfortunately, the wear and tear eventually caught up to him.

I believe if Adams remained healthy and Seattle's coaches played him as he should, as a money-backer/box safety hybrid, Adams would still be a top-five safety in the league today.

At only 28 years old, Adams gets another chance to get his career back on track and we can only hope he can remain healthy in Tennessee. Adams will have a chance to compete for a starting job once camp starts in Tennessee on July 23rd.

Interestingly enough, the Seahawks and the Titans have agreed on holding a joint practice session together in Nashville on August 14th and 15th, prior to their pre-season exhibition game. As long as Adams sticks around in Tennessee long enough to make that practice session, many Seahawks will be able to reunite with their former teammate and defensive leader for one final practice session.

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