The Seahawks won their season opener Monday night, upsetting the Broncos in a 17-16 defensive battle, but they also lost one of their top players in safety Jamal Adams, who was carted off with a leg injury. It turns out Seattle will also be without Adams for the rest of the 2022 season. After receiving multiple medical opinions, the former Pro Bowler has elected to undergo surgery on a torn quadriceps tendon, according to NFL Media, and will miss the remainder of the year as a result.
Adams is still discussing his options for surgery -- specifically when his operation will take place -- but will not return to the field this season, per Ian Rapoport. His loss confirms fears that he'd suffered a significant injury when he left Monday's game and was quickly ruled doubtful to return, with coach Pete Carroll later declining to put a timetable on Adams' return.
One of the Seahawks' most lucrative additions in recent memory, the 26-year-old Adams has battled injuries in each of his three seasons in Seattle. Acquired in a blockbuster trade that included two first-round draft picks, the former Jets star missed four games in 2020 due to finger and groin injuries, then another four games in 2021 thanks to a torn labrum.
When healthy, Adams has been one of the Seahawks' most important defenders, setting a record for sacks by a defensive back with 9.5 in 2020, then logging a career-high 31 assisted tackles and two interceptions in 2021. He was particularly active in Monday's win over the Broncos before exiting, logging three tackles, a pass deflection and a quarterback hit.
A year removed from landing a four-year, $70 million extension with the team, Adams is also one of the NFL's highest-paid at his position. In his absence, the Seahawks figure to rely on reserves Josh Jones and Ryan Neal, with two-time Pro Bowler Quandre Diggs manning the other safety position.
