The Seahawks did indeed suffer a big loss Sunday despite beating the 49ers 30-23, as safety Jamal Adams — who signed a four-year, $70 million extension in August, making him the highest-paid player at his position in NFL history — will miss the rest of the season with a left-shoulder injury that will require surgery.
Adams tore his labrum and suffered additional damage to the shoulder, a source confirmed to The Times early Wednesday. The NFL Network first reported the news Wednesday morning.
Adams is scheduled to have surgery Thursday in Dallas. He is expected to make a full recovery ahead of the 2022 season.
Adams had a similar surgery in Seattle on the same shoulder following the 2020 season, his first with the Seahawks.
His second season with Seattle now ends after 12 games. Adams started all 12 and will finish with 87 tackles, third on the team, as well as two interceptions, which ranks second.
Ryan Neal replaced Adams for the final 33 snaps of Sunday's win over the 49ers and will likely fill that role for the final five games of the 2021 season, beginning Sunday at Houston.
Neal has five starts in three seasons with Seattle, including four last year when Adams was injured.
Adams, who turned 26 in October, was acquired amid much fanfare in July 2020, with Seattle giving up its first-round picks in each of the 2021 and 2022 seasons as well as a third-rounder in 2021 and safety Bradley McDougald, as well as getting back a fourth-round pick in 2022.
Adams battled injuries throughout his first season with Seattle in 2020, including groin, elbow and finger injuries, as well as a shoulder injury in the final game of the season. He missed four games early in the year due to the groin injury but returned at midseason to lead a turnaround in the Seattle defense, used often as a pass rusher and finishing with 9.5 sacks, the most for a defensive back in NFL history.
Adams held a "sit in" early in training camp — attending meetings but not taking part in practices — as he negotiated his new deal with the team before finally agreeing to a contract in mid-August.
Adams was used a little differently in his second season with Seattle, rushing the passer just 51 times in 872 snaps, compared to 104 in 784 in 2020, did not record a sack and had only two quarterback hits, according to Pro Football Focus.
According to PFF, Adams allowed 26 receptions on 45 targets for 252 yards and two touchdowns in 2021, for a passer rating of 69.9. That was far better than his first season with the Seahawks, when he allowed 41 receptions on 54 targets for 446 yards and three TDs and a rating of 121.7, according to PFF.
Adams was the sixth overall pick by the Jets out of LSU in the 2017 NFL draft. He played three years in New York, where he missed just two games.
The Jets traded the first-round pick they got from the Seahawks a year ago to Minnesota, who used it to take offensive lineman Christian Darrisaw, who has started six games this season.
The 2022 first-round pick Seattle gave up for Adams is currently No. 6 overall.
