The Washington Commanders find themselves in need of a free safety — or at least overall depth at the safety position — with a neck injury to starter Quan Martin at the halfway point of the season that has put his availability in doubt.
It just so happens there’s a free safety that just came onto the market and is looking for a home after the Tennessee Titans released 3-time NFL All-Pro and 3-time Pro Bowler Jamal Adams on October 17.
According to ESPN’s Turron Davenport, the Titans were simply honoring Adams’ request to be released after he only played in 20 snaps over 3 games.
“Adams told ESPN on Thursday that he wasn’t frustrated about not being a starter, he just wanted an opportunity to contribute,” Davenport wrote. “So, he requested to be released. The primary issue from the Titans’ point of view was a lack of practice, according to a team source. Adams missed extensive time during training camp as he fought through a hip injury. The Titans placed Adams on the non-football injury list this past Saturday. The veteran defensive back said he’s healthy and ready to help out the next team he joins.”
Adams would fit in with a secondary where no player is irreplaceable and their struggles have been out there for all to see through the first 6 games of the 2024 regular season and despite the team’s surprising, 4-2 record headed into a Week 7 home game against the lowly Carolina Panthers.
Through those 6 games, the Commanders have just 1 interception — rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil in a Week 6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens — and have given up a whopping 12 passing touchdowns.
Adams Was One of NFL’s Elite Safeties
The New York Jets selected Adams with the No. 6 overall pick out of LSU in the 2017 NFL draft and he quickly became one of the NFL’s premiere safeties.
After earning PFWAA All-Rookie Team honors in 2017, Adams earned all 3 of his All-Pro nods and all 3 of his Pro Bowl selections over the next 3 seasons.
Before the 2020 season and after voiced his discontent with playing for the Jets, he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in a blockbuster deal that sent Adams and a 2022 fourth round pick to Seattle in exchange for safety Bradley McDougald along with the Seahawks’ first round and third round picks in 2021 and their first round pick in 2022.
Adams responded by having one of his best seasons in 2020, when he set an NFL record for a defensive back with 9.5 sacks despite missing 4 games with a groin injury and the Seahawks signed him to a 4-year, $70.58 million contract extension before the 2021 season. At the time, it was the largest contract for a defensive back in NFL history.
Adams Career Took Steep Dive After Extension
Adams was an elite safety through the first 12 games of the 2021 season but missed the last 5 games of the year after he tore a labrum in his shoulder. Adams returned to play just 1 game in 2022 before he suffered a season-ending torn quad tendon. Adams played just 9 games in 2023.
That means that since suffering that torn labrum in Week 13 of the 2021 season, Adams missed 29 of a possible 39 regular-season games due to injuries — he also hasn’t had an interception, forced fumble or fumble recovery since 2021.
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Commanders Could Solve Safety Issues With Former $72 Million All-Pro