It’s not often you see an NFL team sign a three-time Pro Bowler in December, but that’s exactly what the Detroit Lions did Sunday.
The Lions will be adding Jamal Adams to their practice squad, according to ESPN. Adams’ agent, Kevin Conner, told ESPN that the veteran safety agreed to the move with the expectation he would likely be elevated to the active roster.
The 29-year-old Adams started the 2024 season in Tennessee, but things didn’t work out very well with the Titans. Adams only played in four games before being placed on the non-football injury list. After that move in mid-October, Adams requested his release and the Titans granted.
Although Adams has been a solid player throughout his career, it’s not clear how much he has let in the tank. He entered the NFL with the Jets after they made him the sixth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. During his three seasons in New York, he went to two Pro Bowls (2018 and 2019) and was one of the best safeties in the NFL. The Jets then traded him to the Seahawks prior to the 2019 season, and during his first year in Seattle, he once again made the Pro Bowl. However, his play has dropped off considerably over the past few years.
Since 2022, Adams has appeared in just 13 games due to injuries. In his first four seasons, he recorded 21.5 sacks, but he hasn’t recorded a single sack in the four seasons since then.
Adams has only played in one postseason game in his entire career and that was a loss while he was with the Seahawks in 2020. By joining the Lions, who currently have the NFC’s best record at 11-1, he’ll have a chance to not only pick up his first career playoff win, but he’ll be joining a team that has Super Bowl aspirations.