Titans sign Pro Bowl safety with recent injury history

The Titans have added plenty of NFL experience at a position of need.

Just how healthy veteran safety Jamal Adams is remains to be seen.

Tennessee signed Adams on Thursday, reuniting him with Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, who Adams played for from 2017 through 2020 with the New York Jets. It’s a one-year deal, per ESPN.

The 29-year-old Adams, the number six overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft, earned Pro Bowl honors from 2018-2020 and was named All-Pro in 2019. A seven-year vet, Adams has totaled 494 tackles, 50 tackles for loss, 42 quarterback hits, four interceptions and 36 passes defensed in his career.

If healthy, Adams will boost a safety group that has little experience beyond Amani Hooker and Elijah Molden. Other safeties on the roster include Mike Brown, Matthew Jackson and Shyheim Carter.

But staying healthy has been a significant issue in recent years for Adams, who’s played in 34 games and missed 33 over the past four seasons.

In 2022, Adams suffered a season-ending torn quad in the Seahawks’ opener against Denver, limiting him to just one game.

In 2023, a concussion and knee injury limited him to nine games, meaning he’s played a combined 10 contests over the last two years. Adams didn’t suit up for the final four games of Seattle’s 2023 season.

Pro Football Focus gave Adams a 54.9 overall grade last season, 52.8 against the run and 50.7 in coverage. He surrendered 28 completions on 34 targets for 292 yards (10.4-yard average) and two touchdowns, allowing a quarterback rating of 122.1.

Adams has extensive experience at free safety, box safety and the slot. In 2023, he played 208 snaps in the box, 183 in the slot and 85 at free safety.

Adams was reportedly fined $50,000 by the league last season for verbal remarks and inappropriate physical contact with an independent concussion doctor following Seattle’s loss to Cincinnati in Week 6. He’d previously apologized for an interaction with an independent concussion doctor in Week 4.

The Titans last season finished 18th in passing yards allowed, 18th in third-down conversions allowed and 31st in turnovers created.

Wilson has promised a more aggressive approach to pass coverage in 2024.

Tennessee traded longtime starting free safety Kevin Byard in October of 2023.

This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.