Seahawks safety Jamal Adams played through torn labrum in shoulder in wild-card loss to Rams
This was not the way Seahawks safety Jamal Adams, after lighting a victory cigar during a postgame press conference when the Seahawks clinched the NFC West two weeks ago, anticipated his first season in Seattle would come to an end.
He spent this week of practice assuring he would be on the field for this wild-card meeting with the Rams despite playing through injuries the past several weeks.
“No question in my mind — I’m playing, man,” he said earlier in the week.
He planned, like the rest of the Seahawks locker room, to be celebrating a win well into the evening Saturday at Lumen Field.
Instead, when he took the podium following a 30-20 upset loss — Seattle’s first playoff loss at home since the 2004 season — he was staring down an abrupt ending to his first postseason run and what he believes to be possibly two surgeries.
“It’s tough,” Adams said on a postgame Zoom call with reporters. “Obviously this wasn’t the plan. We can come up with 1,000,001 excuses, but the fact of the matter is, we’re not going to do it. Hats off to L.A. They did a phenomenal job.
“They controlled the clock and they flipped the field on us a lot of times, and made more plays than we did. It’s tough to win ballgames when we’re not hitting on all cylinders. … Obviously our season is cut short, but we’ve got to learn from it and get healthy and come back next year swinging.”
For the All-Pro safety, getting healthy before the Seahawks reunite this spring for the 2021 season becomes the main priority.
Adams has been playing through multiple injuries — in his left and right shoulders and his fingers — dating back to Seattle’s first meeting with the Rams in November. He also missed a handful of games earlier in the season with a groin injury.
The most recent injury, and perhaps most significant, came last week against the 49ers. Adams threw his helmet in frustration on the sideline after injuring his left shoulder in the fourth quarter on a blitz. He said Saturday he ended up tearing his labrum on that play.
But, he reiterated again the new shoulder injury, as well as the broken fingers he’s been playing with, were never going to keep him from playing against the Rams.
“As long as my legs are moving — I’ll keep saying it — I’m going to be out there,” Adams said.
Though he acknowledged this week of preparation was “tough” as he worked through the shoulder injury.
“Any game you play, but obviously the playoffs, you want to be as healthy as you can going into it,” he said. “I was just getting really healthy, and obviously the ball didn’t go my way. I came up with an injury and it is what it is.”
Adams seemed limited at times against the Rams, including on one play downfield in the second quarter when Yakima native Cooper Kupp hauled in a 44-yard pass over Adams, who appeared unable to lift his arm to defend the pass. The Rams eventually scored on the drive, taking a 6-3 lead they never lost.
“I’m not a person that’s going to make excuses,” Adams said. “Yes, I did have a harness on that restricted me from going up or going across, but that’s not an excuse. I’ve got to make the play.
“It was a hell of a grab. I mean, stuff like that happens, but obviously the ball just didn’t roll our way on that one.”
Adams thought he may need surgery on his left shoulder and the broken fingers this offseason. At this point, he said his right shoulder is the least of his concerns, and hopes it doesn’t require surgery.
“The offseason is for everybody to get healthy,” Adams said. “ … I’ve got probably about two surgeries coming up and just want to get healthy, get back to ball.
“The marathon is going to continue, and we’ll be back. We’ll be back next year.”
Adams finished his first season with the Seahawks with 87 tackles, an NFL-record-breaking 9 1/2 sacks in his 13 games played and consistently sparked Seattle’s energy.
“Jamal’s a phenomenal player,” Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett said. “Lucky to be able to have him. He came in, he got to see how energetic we were as a team, he got to see what it was like just to be around us, and I think he fit in perfectly. I think they did a great job being able to use him.
“I think he brought a lot of great things to the table. He played very hard, like the whole entire year, regardless of whatever he was dealing with, with injuries or whatever. He came out there and he was like a warrior. So I’m thankful to be able to have him on the team.”
Adams has one season left on his rookie contract. Asked Saturday about the possibility of an extension with Seattle, he said getting healthy is his primary focus.
“That’s something that is out of my hands right now,” Adams said. “I sure pray that I am here. I love being a Seattle Seahawk. I love being a part of this organization. It’s a special one.
“ ... When that time comes, it comes, but I’m worried about getting healthy right now and getting back and getting into the flow of everything and figuring out everything. I’m not really focused on that right now.”
This story was originally published January 9, 2021 at 7:51 PM with the headline "Seahawks safety Jamal Adams played through torn labrum in shoulder in wild-card loss to Rams."
