With Jamal Adams Extended, Which Seattle Defense Shows Up in 2021?

The Seattle Seahawks and star safety Jamal Adams finally came to terms on a four-year contract extension that will make him the highest-paid safety in the NFL.

The deal will bring Adams back to Seattle’s facility after he spent the offseason sitting out in hopes of a new deal materializing.

Adams is a key piece for Seattle, but does his return to the Seahawks’ lineup mean that their defense will turn a corner in 2021? It’s a tricky question.

Last season, Seattle struggled mightily to start the year, allowing 30.4 points per game through its first eight games. Adams missed four of those games with an injury, but he returned for the 44-point shellacking the Buffalo Bills gave Seattle in its eighth game of the season. 

The second half of the season was a whole different story for the Seahawks. With Adams in the lineup for all eight games and the team acquiring Carlos Dunlap at the trade deadline, Seattle allowed just 16.0 points per game over the final eight games. 

That’s a massive switch, and while some of it can be attributed to Adams’ presence, Seattle needs to find what worked in the second half of the season and apply it to the 2021 campaign. 

WynnBET currently has the Seahawks in the middle of the pack to allow the fewest points in the NFL this season, as they come in at +2200 odds. Because of their strong second half, the Seahawks ended up with the 15th-fewest points allowed in the NFL last season. 

Having Adams back in the lineup will certainly help Seattle, but time will tell if the contract was an overpay, or if Adams truly deserves to be the league’s highest paid safety. The Seahawks will open the 2021 season on the road against the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 12. Seattle is set as a two-point favorite in that matchup.

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