His No. 33 jersey was far and away the most popular choice in the MetLife Stadium crowd. All of a sudden, he became one of the most despised men in New York City sports.
Things ended badly between Jamal Adams and the New York Jets in 2020. Over four years after the breakup, Adams says he has come to view things differently than he did at the time.
In an interview with Tyler Dunne of Go Long, Adams expressed regret for how he “hurt” Jets fans.
“[Jets] fans, I didn’t know I hurt ‘em like that. I didn’t realize I had that much impact. And then obviously the older I got, I started to realize, ‘Bro, you had it all. You had it all besides the winning. Everything else, you had it all. Anything a player could ask for.’ But it didn’t work out for me. I asked for the trade out. And if I look back on it now, I would tell myself, ‘Don’t make an emotional decision.'”
After being chosen sixth overall by New York in the 2017 NFL draft, Adams quickly blossomed into a superstar and the face of the organization. By the end of his third season, Adams had already accumulated two Pro Bowl trips and two All-Pro appearances, including a first-team All-Pro nod in 2019.
In 2020, contract negotiations between Adams and the Jets fell apart, prompting Adams to force his way out of town through various public antics. The request was eventually granted, as New York dealt Adams to the Seattle Seahawks. In return for Adams, the Jets netted a substantial package that included two first-round picks, which amounted to Garrett Wilson and Alijah Vera-Tucker.
Adams earned a four-year, $70 million contract from Seattle that made him the richest safety in NFL history at the time. However, his career quickly fell apart after a strong first season with the Seahawks, mostly due to various injuries. Seattle released Adams this past March. After a three-month stint with the Tennessee Titans, Adams is now on the Detroit Lions’ practice squad.
Due to Adams’ decline and the outcome of the picks New York received for him, the 2020 Jets-Seahawks trade has come to be known as a decisive victory for New York. Some call it the best move in the tenure of former Jets general manager Joe Douglas.
Clearly, Adams wishes it all played out differently. It may be difficult for some Jets fans to forgive him. Each fan can choose whether they’d like to or not.
Regardless, his comments serve as an example that professional athletes deserve time to learn and grow from their early-career decisions. It’s challenging to come out of college and suddenly have immense power and influence in your early-twenties. Now 29 years old with nearly a half-decade to reflect, Adams seemingly views the situation with a more mature perspective. His words are a refreshing change of pace in a sports climate where finger-pointing is the norm and accountability is the exception.
