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The Seattle Seahawks no doubt breathed a sigh of relief when they agreed to terms with star safety Jamal Adams on a four-year contract extension worth $70 million and $38 million guaranteed on Tuesday.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network broke the news of Adam’s massive deal, which makes him the highest-paid player at his position in the league:
Adams got traded to Seattle from the New York Jets prior to last season, and would’ve been an unrestricted free agent in 2022 had the Seahawks not gotten a new contract done.
Considering that Seattle gave up two first-round picks to acquire Adams in the first place, it was inevitable that an extension was coming. It was just a matter of ironing out the details. Adams knew he had all the leverage, too, so he didn’t partake in training camp practices while his contract situation was being resolved.
Although it caused some undue stress on the organization, all’s well that ends well. The fact that Adams is in a Seahawks uniform is all that matters, and he’s an absolute X-factor for a defense in dire need of playmakers and pass-rushers in particular.
Click here to see our game-by-game predictions for the entire 2021 Seattle Seahawks schedule
You might be wondering about the latter defensive role and how Adams factors into that at all. Well, part of the reason Adams is the highest-paid safety is because he can align anywhere on the field and make big plays.
Despite missing four games last season and fighting through multiple injuries, Adams still managed to rack up a whopping 9.5 sacks, 83 combined tackles, 11 tackles for loss, three pass deflections and a forced fumble.
With his contract dispute resolved and a much-needed offseason to heal up, it’s reasonable to expect Adams to be in for a career year in 2021. He’s now in a winning organization after suffering through years of losing with the Jets, and Seattle has secured his future.
Now that Adams is locked up, it’s vital for the Seahawks front office to shift their focus to another key player. Left tackle Duane Brown is wanting a new contract, but Seattle has been reluctant to award it to him thus far.
Adams’ extension goes a long way in the effort to keep superstar quarterback Russell Wilson happy. However, if Brown’s new deal doesn’t follow suit, it could mean Wilson makes waves next offseason for the second straight year and forces his way to a new team.
Will the Seahawks make the postseason this year? Read our NFL playoff predictions to find out