Jamal Adams is a man of many talents. He is a gamechanger on the field, alpha dog in the locker room and an elite self-promoter.
He also has a habit of saying he wants to spend the rest of his career with whatever team employs him at that moment.
In November, Adams said he wanted to be a “Jet for life.” Despite his public spat with Jets general manager Joe Douglas only a couple of weeks before, there was no reason to believe Adams was not being truthful. New York maintained that it wanted to keep him in town and it seemed like the feeling was mutual — until it wasn’t.
Before long, Adams was openly campaigning for a new contract. Contract demands eventually turned into a trade request, which resulted in a deal that sent the disgruntled All-Pro safety to the Seahawks in exchange for a lucrative haul featuring two first-round draft picks.
Adams now has a new home in Seattle, one that he has apparently already developed an affinity for. Despite being with the Seahawks for less than a week, Adams told reporters on Thursday that he wanted to spend the rest of his career playing in the Emerald City.
“The plan is to retire here,” he said.
Wait a second. Wasn’t Adams’ original plan to retire with the Jets? Wasn’t it his “calling” to play for New York and bring a Lombardi Trophy back to One Jets Drive?
In less than a year’s time, he received a second calling and went from wanting to win a Super Bowl and retire on the east coast to winning one with the Seahawks and retiring on the west coast. That doesn’t sound like someone who is too committed to staying in one place unless the circumstances are picturesque. Or, in this particular case, if the money is right.
Adams can say whatever he wants about staying with the Seahawks for the rest of his career or Seattle being the place for him. At this point, his word is worth little. The last couple of months are prime evidence of that. There is no doubt that the Seahawks landed a player who could take their defense to the next level, but they also added one who has a propensity for throwing past promises out the window.
John Schneider and the rest of Seattle’s front office should keep its head on a swivel with Adams moving forward. One day he could be saying he wants to be a Seahawk for life, the next he could be taking to Twitter or Instagram to bash the organization in an effort to force his way out of town so he can chase top dollar elsewhere.
Will trading for Adams ultimately help Seattle win a Super Bowl? Only time will tell. Either way, the Seahawks need to be wary of what their new superstar safety says. It doesn’t take long for him to go back on the words that come out of his mouth — no matter how flattering they may be.