Three-time Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams has agreed to terms with the Minnesota Vikings, adding a versatile veteran defender to Brian Flores’ unit on the eve of training camp.
Adams, 30, confirmed the move Monday night on social media with a simple post: “Year 10. #Skol.” Multiple reports, including from ESPN and insider Jordan Schultz, corroborated the agreement. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The former LSU standout and sixth overall pick in the 2017 draft by the New York Jets spent the bulk of his career as a hard-hitting box safety. He earned consecutive Pro Bowl nods from 2018 to 2020 and collected All-Pro recognition in those same seasons, including first-team honors in 2019. During that peak stretch he was one of the league’s most disruptive defensive backs, finishing with 19.5 sacks across those three campaigns alone.
Injuries and positional shifts slowed his production in recent years. After a high-profile trade to the Seattle Seahawks in 2020—engineered in part by current Vikings general manager Nolan Teasley—Adams signed a large extension but appeared in just 34 games over four seasons. He split 2024 between the Tennessee Titans and Detroit Lions before landing with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025.
In Las Vegas, Adams fully transitioned to linebacker under former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. He played all 17 games for the first time since 2018, recording 45 tackles (five for loss), one sack, and one forced fumble while logging roughly 40 percent of the defensive snaps. The move marked the first time in his career he primarily operated from the linebacker room.
That positional flexibility makes Adams an intriguing fit in Minnesota. Flores’ defense thrives on hybrid personnel and unpredictable pressure. Players such as Josh Metellus routinely line up in multiple spots, and Adams’ background as both a blitzer and coverage defender could allow him to contribute in similar packages. The Vikings ranked among the league leaders in sacks a year ago, and Adams’ career total of 22.5 sacks underscores his ability to get after the quarterback.
The signing also provides depth at a time when longtime safety Harrison Smith continues to deliberate a potential 15th season. While Adams has primarily played linebacker of late, his experience in the secondary gives the Vikings another option should Smith step away.
Adams has played for six franchises in his first nine NFL seasons. He arrives in Minnesota healthy after a full campaign and with a clear opportunity to carve out a role in a creative scheme. Training camp opens this week, and the three-time Pro Bowler will begin Year 10 looking to prove he still has something left in the tank.
