Adam Jude and Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reported this week that the Seahawks and S Jamal Adams are locked in a “$70-million staring contest.” The offer would make Adams the highest-paid safety in the league with an average annual salary of $17.5 million.
“When training camp began two weeks ago, the two sides were roughly $4 million apart in annual compensation for Adams, sources told The Seattle Times,” June and Condotta detailed. “After back-and forth negotiations over the next week, they were close to a meet-in-the-middle agreement. On Friday, the Seahawks made what they labeled their final offer: $17.5 million in total annual compensation on a four-year contract, with roughly $38 million guaranteed, a deal that would make Adams the highest-paid safety in the NFL.”
Adams is entering the final season of a four-year, $22.2 million rookie deal and is slated to make $9.86 million in 2021.
Missing training camp practices is one thing, but Adams appears to be prepared to miss regular season games to get his point across.
“The Seahawks, a source said, are ‘not budging’ on their offer,” June and Condotta added. “And Adams, 25, has made it clear he will not play until his new deal is signed, even as he is ‘champing at the bit’ to practice with the team, another source said. Adams has remained active and engaged in team meetings throughout camp. The two sides have not engaged in negotiations since Friday [August 6], and each appears willing to wait out the other until deep into training camp.”
Part of the tension is the Seahawks want to keep Bobby Wagner as the team’s highest-paid defender, but they have no issue with making Adams the highest-paid safety.
“The average per year, though, also would be just below the $18 million of middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, a key consideration for the Seahawks in leaving the 10-year veteran and longtime defensive captain as the highest-paid defensive player on the team,” June and Condotta explained. “Adams’ representatives seemed amenable to that salary package and then countered with what they saw as a reasonable request: $40 million in guarantees, $2 million more than the Seahawks’ offer. Adams’ camp also wanted to move bonus money into the first three years of the contract; the Seahawks prefer to spread it over all four years.”
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The Seahawks are also in a standoff with LT Duane Brown, who is looking for a new contract from the team.
In 2020, Adams appeared in 12 games for the Seahawks and recorded 83 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, one forced fumble, no interceptions, and three pass defenses.
