Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams needs season-ending surgery for a torn labrum in his left shoulder, a source confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.
Adams suffered the injury in the second quarter of Sunday’s victory against the San Francisco 49ers and appeared emotional on the sideline once he left the game. When he came back to the sideline wearing street clothes in the third quarter, he shared a long embrace with his position coach Andre Curtis.
Coach Pete Carroll initially referred to the injury as a “sprain” after Sunday’s game. Adams suffered a similar injury to his left labrum last season but continued to play through the postseason prior to having offseason surgery.
Adams, 26, had yet to record a sack in 2021 after setting an NFL record for a defensive back last season with 9.5 in 12 games. He had two interceptions in a three-game span this season, including one of Aaron Rodgers in Week 10 that was his first with the Seahawks.
His 87 total tackles are third on the team while his four tackles for loss are tied for second.
The Seahawks acquired Adams in July of 2020 in a blockbuster trade with the New York Jets, giving up a package of picks that included their next two first-rounders in arguably the boldest personnel move the franchise has made under Carroll and general manager John Schneider. They signed Adams to a four-year, $70 million extension this past August that made him the NFL’s highest-paid safety.
Adams missed only two games over his three seasons with New York but will have missed nine over his first two in Seattle. A groin injury sidelined him for four games last year. He played through injuries to both shoulders in 2020 — including the torn labrum that needed surgery — as well as two broken fingers that also needed surgery and a hyperextended elbow.
Ryan Neal, a fourth-year player, replaced Adams at strong safety last year and again in the second half of Seattle’s win over San Francisco on Sunday.
NFL Network first reported that Adams would have the season-ending procedure.
ESPN’s Brady Henderson contributed to this report.
