On Monday night, when the Seattle Seahawks play the New York Giants, Jamal Adams, who has been out with an injury, will play in his first game back since returning from his injury.
Since rupturing his left quad tendon during the second quarter of Seattle’s 2022 season opener against the Denver Broncos, the Seahawks safety has been sidelined. Adams’ injury woes would worsen due to a torn labrum sustained in Week 12 of the 2021 campaign, which would also result in a difficult rehabilitation process that he feared he might not survive.
Adams acknowledged that he was in “denial” in the early days following the injury, finding it difficult to accept that surgery and a protracted layoff were ahead of him.
“Going back into the locker room and seeing my family, that was a tough time,” he stated this past week. “It was evident that my family was receiving the news when they arrived. I’m crying, Pete came in there, and everyone came in at halftime. It was difficult. It was difficult.
“I considered a number of things, including retiring. Will this be the last one I ever have? I’m not sure. But after receiving that MRI, I eventually promised myself that I would return.
“I had no idea how or when, but I was determined to find a solution. I was confident that I could succeed if I held fast to my beliefs and the people who genuinely cared about me.”
Adams remembers being in a cast for more than 20 weeks, during which he was unable to use a wheelchair, take a shower, or even get out of bed on his alone.
For a player who was once thought to be among the best in his position and the league, it would prove to be one of the hardest and most difficult mental challenges of his career.
“At the time, I was thinking about everything. I was lost in thought,” he remarked. “Not on anything suicidal, but certainly in a lot of dark moments in terms of escaping the football game and people. I wasn’t really answering my phone or talking to many people at the time. You thus experience real-life scenarios while playing this football game.
“It was a truly humble experience for me. My perspective has sharpened significantly, and no one could truly comprehend the specifics of what I endured unless they’ve
“It’s definitely something I don’t wish on anybody, but I made it out, and I’m just looking forward to the journey and I’m looking forward to the seasons.”
