Seahawks' Jamal Adams considered retirement after injury - ESPN

RENTON, Wash. — Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams, who's set to make his 2023 debut Monday night against the New York Giants, revealed that he briefly but legitimately considered retiring in the immediate aftermath of the serious leg injury he suffered in last season's opener.

Speaking to reporters Friday for the first time since tearing his left quadriceps tendon, a candid and introspective Adams recalled bawling in the locker room when he got the news that his season was over, and how he found himself in a «dark place» as a result.

«It was tough,» he said. «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'm going to be back. I didn't know when or how, but I was going to figure it out.»

Asked why retirement was a consideration, the 27-year-old Adams pointed to all the injuries he's suffered over the last three seasons and the toll they've taken on him mentally. In addition to his torn quad tendon — which connects the quad muscle to the kneecap — Adams has suffered two torn shoulder labrums as well as less significant injuries to his groin, elbow and fingers.

After missing only two games over his first three seasons with the New York Jets, he's missed 28 of a possible 53 regular-season games since the Seahawks acquired him in a blockbuster trade with the New York Jets in 2020.

«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,» said Adams, who has three seasons and $45 million remaining on the $70 million extension he signed in 2021. «I was considering everything at the moment. I was in a dark place. Not