NFL rumors: Jamal Adams wants $20 million annually in new contract

One source says Jamal Adams wants to be paid like one of the NFL’s best defenders.

Let’s be clear from the outset that this rumor is a bit shaky.

ESPN senior reporter Jeremy Fowler has word from a source that New York Jets safety Jamal Adams isn’t interested in being a well-paid or even the highest-paid safety in the game. Instead, he wants his next contract to position him among the game’s best defenders, regardless of position, which would give him an average of “well above $20M per year.”

Here’s the full post on Twitter:

Fowler says right here that it’s “tough” and that’s a polite way of putting it. If there was a track record of production so far elevated above his peers, that would be one thing. If the New York Jets were known for a suffocating defense largely due to Adams’ play and influence, that would also be quite helpful. While Adams has shown himself to be an exemplary performer at safety, it’s not as if he’s peerless or that the Jets are anything memorable at all.

In short, he’s a star player stuck on a pitiful team. There’s a long line of players past and present who could say, “Yep, we get it.”

These rumors aren’t helpful for Adams in the slightest given his hopes of getting away from the Jets. After demanding a trade away from New York, a report from Adam Schefter surfaced with a list of seven teams to which Adams would welcome a trade. One of those teams was the Kansas City Chiefs, a team with financial constraints aplenty as they consider future extensions for both defensive star Chris Jones and former MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Even if the Chiefs were to consider the idea of importing Adams and perhaps not committing themselves long-term to Jones for the sake of going all-in at safety (despite the presence of Juan Thornhill, Tyrann Mathieu and Dan Sorensen), part of the idea would likely be due to safety being a bit cheaper than what Jones is wanting. An extension for Jones is expected to land at $20 million annually.

All of this talk is, of course, still a major stretch. The Chiefs have postured themselves toward Jones already and a deal should be finished soon enough. In addition, the idea of trading assets for another star player at a position already loaded just makes no sense for a team that doesn’t need any significant retooling after winning the Super Bowl just months ago.

Adams might have high hopes for getting out but these rumors, if true, aren’t helping his case at all.