The Minnesota Vikings were dealt some tough news on Sunday evening. Defender Jamal Adams will miss the entire 2026 season with a knee injury. This was reported by multiple media outlets on Sunday evening.
Adams suffered the injury in Saturday’s preseason contest against the New York Giants. Adams appeared as though he stumbled on a crossing route from Giants wide receiver Calvin Austin III. He stayed down and grabbed his lower half. Teammates went to the medical tent to check on him, as the Vikings lost their veteran defender for the entirety of the game at that juncture.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell indicated following the game that the X-rays did not look good. Now, the difficult injury news has been confirmed, per Ian Rapoport.
#Vikings defender Jamal Adams, who was carted off in yesterday’s preseason game, was diagnosed with a season-ending knee injury, source says. His season is over before it began.
Veteran Was Excited To Join Vikings
Adams officially joined the Vikings on July 28. He was extremely excited to join the Vikings, given his familiarity with defensive coordinator Brian Flores. The veteran also indicated that he felt the Vikings wanted to win, and that the feeling was prevalent in the building. On top of just being excited to play for the organization, he also was eager to take on any role that was given to him.
Adams had a strong year with the Las Vegas Raiders last season and played in all 17 regular season games. He recorded a sack and a forced fumble. The veteran also took on a different role, as it was his first full year playing a hybrid linebacker role rather than at safety. Last year was one of his first seasons that he was fully healthy, and it showed in the way he played.
Vikings Safety Depth An Issue
Now, the Vikings have a bit of a depth issue at the safety position. John Metellus and Jacob Thomas are options at the spot. Thomas had one of the biggest plays of the day on Saturday, as he was able to record an interception.
This also raises the question of whether Harrison Smith is going to come back to the organization. At last report, Smith was unsure about whether he was going to come back for the 2026 season. Now, there could be a major need for Smith, as the Vikings need to add veteran depth at a position that desperately needs it.
It will certainly be interesting to see the ramifications of this injury. The Vikings were counting on Adams to be the veteran leader of this defense. Now, they’re going to have to rely on others to step up and make an impact. There is no sugarcoating it: the injury to Adams leaves a big hole on their defense. Without that, the Vikings will have to figure out a way to develop who they have on the roster in order to offset the loss. No matter which why you slice it, this is a very difficult loss for the Vikings.
Vikings Suffer Huge Setback With Defender Out for Season: Report