Geno Smith and Jamal Adams: A tale of two very different teammates

Geno Smith was all in for the Seattle Seahawks' huge win over the Eagles Monday night. Jamal Adams, not so much. That's a problem, and also a lesson. If you want to be on a team, be part of the team.

The Seahawks pulled off a critical win Monday night versus the Eagles. They managed this without two of their star players, Geno Smith and Jamal Adams. The circumstances of their absence on the field are similar, as both were injured during the week and limited in practice. Smith was active while Adams was on the inactive list for the Monday night tilt. How each player handled this situation could not be more different, though.

It's been reported that Smith didn't know if he would start until half an hour before the start. Bear in mind that the inactive list must be submitted 90 minutes prior to kickoff. That's an important distinction, as Adams had that hour and a half - at least - to consider his response. Smith, meanwhile, expected to start the game, so of course he was on the field in pregame warmups. Adams, meanwhile, was not at Lumen Field at all. And therein lies the contrast between the two players.

The Seattle Seahawks saw two very different actions from two star players

Depending on who you listen to, there are varying answers as to why Jamal Adams was not at the game. Gregg Bell of The News Tribune posted on X (you know, Twitter in the real world) that Adams had left the stadium. Bell provided much more detail on the situation in The News Tribune. He later clarified his previous statement on X with the following post:

It's important to note that Pete Carroll himself said that Adams didn't need to be at the game. As quoted by Bell, Carroll said, “I think he was home. It was hard on him. We talked about it, and how he was going to deal with it. And he didn’t need to be there.”

Okay, so let's read between the lines a bit here. Let's also factor in that Carroll had called Adams out for poor play in the second loss to the 49ers. It's critical to remember this: Carroll also called out Julian Love for his play as well. And who was the hero of the win over the Eagles? Well, it's safe to say that Adams wasn't the NFC Defensive Player of the Week. That would be the other guy Carroll called out.

No, I haven't spoken to Jamal Adams, so this is all conjecture on my part. But it's a fact that Julian Love responded with a spectacular game. It's a fact that while Geno Smith was disappointed that he didn't get the start, he kept his head in the game. Smith was all in, supporting the man who replaced him for this game with advice and a huge confidence booster before the final drive. I don't know, maybe I'm reading too much into Smith's remarks to Lock before he took the field with the game - and likely the season - in the balance. As quoted by Gregg Bell, again on the Site Formerly Known as Twitter:

And where was Jamal Adams? Maybe he was home. Maybe he was at a gym, rehabbing his knee. I'd like to think that, but I doubt it. I've been a major supporter of Adams through all of his injuries. While many 12s said the Seahawks needed to cut their losses long ago, I pointed out that he has been spectacular when healthy, and used correctly. Carroll himself has said the Hawks will need Adams versus the Cardinals, as they're a run-heavy team. You know, like Seattle supposedly is.

I'm not so sure the Hawks need any player who can't be bothered to stay on the sidelines and cheer his teammates on in any game, let alone a game as critical as this. Until more news comes out, and there are very sound reasons for his absence, Adams comes off like a petulant, sulking child in this. Geno Smith was there every step of the way for his team. He didn't lobby to come in to save the day but assured his replacement that he was the man to do the job. Meanwhile, Adams couldn't be bothered to stay for the game. These two players are not alike.

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