Jamal Adams once had a promising career as a member of the Seattle Seahawks secondary. Yet, once Adams left the Seahawks for the likes of the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans, among others, he has been little more than an NFL journeyman.
Don't get me wrong, Adams is a splashy signing. However, he doesn't move the needle much, and the Lions defense could use that sort of influence. Unfortunately for Detroit, there aren't many of those players available on the free-agent market at this point in the season for a reason.
Adams hasn't been relevant in quite some time. His last interception was in 2021, when he was a member of the Seahawks. He hasn't added to his resume since then. 2020 was his last Pro Bowl-caliber season, also with Seattle.
How will Jamal Adams help the Lions? Well, that's complicated
Well, Adams provides a name brand and little else. Detroit is down several key defenders, specifically at linebacker and the pass rush. Aidan Hutchinson isn't coming back anytime soon, and the Lions have filled that void the best they can after trading for Za'Darius Smith at the deadline.
More importantly, Adams isn't good enough to be worth the trouble off the field. Adams social media presence has gotten him in trouble before. In 2023, Adams posted a photograph of an NFL reporter's wife, commenting on her appearance. While Adams received plenty of heat for that, he didn't see the issue.
"Oh, it's always the athlete crossed the line when he responds," Adams said. "But at the end of the day, disrespect is disrespect. However you want to take it. So I responded. I knew when I did hit that tweet, I wasn't in it to win it. At the end of the day, it was to get him to understand to leave me the hell alone."
Adams claimed he and the reporter, who called out Adams for being out of position on a game-winning touchdown he gave up, had history. Clearly that does not forgive his actions, however.
The 29-year-old is out to prove he still has something left in the tank. The Lions hope they didn't just acquire another distraction.