The Seattle Seahawks take on the New York Giants on Monday night. The game may seem like any other for fans, but for the Seahawks’ Jamal Adams, it means so much more.
Adams is set to make his 2023 debut against the Giants, coming back from an injury that has kept him out of the game since the 2022 season opener.
Adams spoke to reporters on Friday, sharing his experiences with his latest setback and how he almost considered retiring due to it.
He said, “It was tough. “I thought about retiring. I thought about a lot of things. Is this going to be it for me? I didn’t know. But I knew eventually after I got that MRI, I told myself I was going to be back. I didn’t know when or how, but I was going to figure it out. I knew if I kept my faith and those around me who really love and support me, then I could make it out.”
Adams Injury Plagued Career
Adams, a three-time Pro Bowl talent, has suffered from multiple injuries in the past three seasons.
His injuries include a torn quad tendon and two torn labrums. The injuries have taken a physical and mental toll on the 27-year-old safety.
Adams was a part of the New York Jets before joining the Seahawks on a trade-in 2020. He has played just 25 regular-season games for the team from Seattle due to injuries, which he said left him in a “dark place.”
Adams said, “I was having all types of thoughts running through my mind, but at the time when I did tear my knee, that was definitely something I was considering. I was considering everything at the moment. I was in a dark place.
I’m not on anything suicidal, but definitely in a lot of dark times as far as getting away from the game of football, getting away from people. At the time, I wasn’t really talking to many people and wasn’t answering my phone. So you go through real-life situations in this game of football.”
Adams went into detail about the mental issues that athletes face when they suffer from injuries, stating, ” Football teaches you life … and adversity hit me real quick, and I have learned to attack it and embrace it…[while being prepared] to rise up to the next occasion.”
The Seahawks franchise and their fans are looking forward to seeing Adams returning to the field, with his honest admission of mental as well as emotional struggles that professional athletes face showing a new side to the sport that they love.
