New York Jets head coach Adam Gase says his relationship with Jamal Adams is good and always has been since day one.
What’s the real story? New York Jets fans simply cannot figure out what truly lies beneath Jamal Adams’s actions over the last couple of weeks.
Most say money. Others believe it has to with Adams’s desire to bolt town for a perennial winner. Recently, a new theory surfaced in the form of the head coach, Adam Gase.
Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported that Gase is a major factor in Adams’s uncomfortable feeling about his future in New York. On a Friday morning conference call, the Jets head coach was forced to fend off Adams questions galore.
Most importantly, he does believe his relationship with the team’s best player is on solid footing.
“My relationship with Jamal has been good since the time that I’ve gotten here,” Gase proclaimed. “… We’ve always gotten along well.”
Adam Gase on his relationship with Jamal Adams:
"My relationship with Jamal has been good since the time that I've gotten here. … we've always gotten along well." #Jets
— Robby Sabo (@RobbySabo) June 26, 2020
Gase towed the company line for the entirety of the call. And that’s a good thing as per Joe Douglas’s mission statement—one that clearly features fewer leaks and much less drama than in year’s past.
Anything Adams-related is off-limits by way of the public eye.
“Anything that’s gonna deal with communication with Jamal [Adams] will stay between us,” Gase said. “That’s how we’re operating, by keeping things in-house and keeping things tight.”
Adam Gase on Jamal Adams:
"Anything that's gonna deal with communication with Jamal [Adams] will stay between us. That's how we're operating, by keeping things in-house and keeping things tight."
Gase won't discuss the Adams situation publicly. #Jets
— Robby Sabo (@RobbySabo) June 26, 2020
That does not mean he shied away from his desire to see No. 33 on his defense in 2020 and possibly beyond. When asked a clearcut yes or no question by the NFL Network’s Kim Jones, Gase didn’t blink.
“Yes, I want Jamal (Adams) on our team.
“He really creates a lot for other people as well,” Gase said. “When guys have to account for him, when he’s pressuring or down in the box, teams have to account for him and that frees up other guys.”
Adam Gase on Jamal Adams:
"He really creates a lot for other people as well. When guys have to account for him, when he's pressuring or down in the box, teams have to account for him and that frees up other guys." #Jets
— Robby Sabo (@RobbySabo) June 26, 2020
How Gregg Williams’s defensive backfield looks without Adams is a scary thought at the moment. Considering both Marcus Maye and Ashtyn Davis excel as deep-coverage safeties, the thought of replacing Adams is a tough one.
After the social media bender that mentioned the Dallas Cowboys, featured his goodbyes to Maye and showcased Instagram replies to fan-produced comments, all has been quiet on the Adams front for several days.
Nothing has yet to surface from the Jets other than Gregg Williams’s olive branch Thursday and Gase’s double-down Friday.