Titans reach deal with ex-Seahawks S Adams

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans have agreed to a deal with free agent safety Jamal Adams, the team announced Thursday.

A seven-year veteran, Adams spent the past four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks before he was released March 5.

Tennessee currently has Amani Hooker and Elijah Molden listed as its starting safeties. Adams will compete for one of the starting spots when camp opens July 23.

The Seahawks parted with two first-round picks to acquire Adams from the New York Jets in 2020 — one of the biggest swings of the John Schneider/Pete Carroll era — and then made him the NFL’s highest-paid safety a year later with a four-year, $70 million extension.

Adams, 28, made his third straight Pro Bowl during his debut season with the Seahawks while setting a record for defensive backs with 9.5 sacks, but he hasn’t recorded a sack since then.

In the first half of the 2022 opener, Adams tore the quadriceps tendon above his left knee, a devastating injury that sidelined him through the first three games of 2023 and slowed him all season until the Seahawks shut him down in December. Upon his return from the quad injury, Adams said he was in such a dark place that he briefly considered retirement.

Over four years in Seattle, Adams missed 33 of a possible 67 regular-season games. He recorded 9.5 sacks (all in 2020), 19 quarterback hits, 22 tackles for loss, 11 passes defended and 2 interceptions.

The sixth overall pick by the Jets in 2017, Adams has 494 tackles, 21.5 sacks, 7 forced fumbles and 4 interceptions in his career. He was twice named to the Pro Bowl while a member of the Jets (2018, 2019) and was a first-team All Pro in 2019, when current Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson was his defensive backs coach.

ESPN’s Brady Henderson contributed to this report.