SEATTLE — Finally, three weeks after reporting to training camp Jamal Adams got his desire to become the highest-paid safety in NFL history, signing a four-year deal with the team Tuesday worth up to $72 million, a source confirmed to The Seattle Times.
And finally, after more than three weeks of Adams’ “holding in’’ and rumors that the two sides had reached an impasse, the Seahawks accomplished their goal of assuring that Adams will be a key part of their future for the prime years of his career — Adams turns 26 in April.
The deal assures Adams will be a Seahawk through the 2025 season and also includes $38 million guaranteed, and a $20 million signing bonus.
A source confirmed Adams signed the deal Tuesday morning and that he is expected was expected to practice later in the day.
From the day the Seahawks traded with the Jets for Adams in July 2020, it was obvious he wanted to be the highest-paid safety in the NFL, something Adams felt he deserves because of his dual role as one of the team’s best pass rushers.
The two sides had no disagreement on that, and ultimately the deal blew away the current high salary for a safety of Justin Simmons of Denver, who in March signed a four-year deal worth $61 million — an average of $15.25 million.
Instead, sticking points included the bonus money and structure of the contract.
Simmons received $35 million guaranteed, which Adams’ contract surpasses. Landon Collins of the Giants received $44 million guaranteed, but spread out over six years.
The Seahawks gave Adams what they told him was a final offer on Aug. 6 — four years at $17.5 million annually — and made clear they had no plans to budge. They reiterated that stance when they met in person with Adams’ representatives this weekend in Las Vegas, where the Seahawks played the Raiders in their preseason opener.
The Seahawks had let Adams know they would consider using franchise tags in 2022 and 2023, meaning they still effectively controlled his rights into the offseason of 2024.
But the two sides continued to talk, and the deal finally got done Tuesday with Adams agreeing to the $38 million bonus figure that Seattle had said was its final offer but the final deal coming in with a maximum value $72 million.
That means Adams’ contract could tie him with middle linebacker Bobby Wagner at $18 million annually. The Seahawks had made clear they did not want a contract for Adams to surpass Wagner as the highest-paid defensive player.
Adams was entering the final year of his initial rookie contract, due to make $9.86 million in 2021. That salary was due to a fifth-year option in his contract exercised by the Jets in 2020 before he was traded to Seattle.
Becoming the highest-paid safety had been viewed as Adams’ clear goal from the minute he was traded to Seattle, with the Seahawks sending first-round picks in 2021 and 2022 to New York and the understanding that it would take at least that much to keep him.
The only question then became how much more than that Adams might want after a season when he proved he could be used in more ways than the typical strong safety.
Adams’ arrival led to Seattle revamping its defensive strategy and bringing defensive backs on blitzes on 21% — the highest percentage in the NFL — which helped Adams accumulate 9 1/2 sacks, not only the most on the team but the most by any defensive back in the NFL since the league began officially tabulating sacks in 1982.
The contract clears the way for Adams to return to the practice field for the Seahawks. Despite wanting a new contract, Adams reported when camp opened July 27. But Adams sat out the first 13 practices and preseason games.
Reporting, though, allowed Adams to avoid being fined $40,000 per day.
Adams, however, could be eased back into action as he is also recovering from offseason shoulder and finger surgeries that coach Pete Carroll had said would have limited his use early in camp anyway.
The contract marks the third time since 2019 the Seahawks have made a player the highest-paid at his position in NFL history.
Quarterback Russell Wilson became the highest-paid player of any kind in league history in April 2019 when he signed a deal worth $35 million (that has since been passed and Wilson is now fourth with Patrick Mahomes at the top at $45 million a season) and Wagner.
The contract also makes Adams by far the highest-paid safety in Seahawks history. Kam Chancellor made an average of $12 million a year on the last deal he signed with the team in 2017, and Earl Thomas made $10 million a year on the last deal he signed with the team in 2014.
With details of the contract still to be revealed it’s unclear if the contract will change Adams’ scheduled 2021 cap hit of $9.86 million.
Seattle was listed as having $8.1 million in cap room entering the day.
Getting Adams signed clears up one big cloud hovering over the Seahawks.
But another remains. Left tackle Duane Brown, who is also entering the final year of his contract and due to make $10 million in 2021, would like a new deal.
Brown has also been “holding in,’’ and Carroll has already said he will not play in the preseason.
However, sources have said the team is not currently negotiating with Brown, instead taking the stance that they would like to get through the season and then work on an extension then. Brown turns 36 on Aug. 30.
Seattle’s top free pending free agents for 2021 other than Brown and Adams are safety Quandre Diggs and a few players who signed one-year deals this year such as tight end Gerald Everett and cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon.
But Seattle’s biggest contract question after the 2021 season will revolve around receiver DK Metcalf.
Metcalf is entering the third season of his four-year rookie deal and teams cannot give extensions on rookie contracts until the third year is completed. But Metcalf, after two standout seasons to begin his career, will almost certainly be in line for a new deal after this season that could rival that of any receiver in the NFL.
The current highest-paid receiver in the league is Arizona’s DeAndre Hopkins at $27.25 million per year.
The Seahawks earlier this year signed Tyler Lockett to a new contract that pays him $17.25 million per season, 10th in the NFL. Seattle also extended punter Michael Dickson in the spring, signing him to a four-year deal worth up to $14.75 million.
