Jamal Adams was dealt a crushing blow to his bid to revive his career with the Vikings, as the right knee injury he sustained during Saturday’s preseason game will sideline him for the season, according to multiple reports.
In the aftermath of Minnesota’s game against the Giants, head coach Kevin O’Connell said the injury was “not good,” and the Vikings were ultimately forced to deal with the worst-case scenario involving a piece of their defense who’d worked at both safety and linebacker.
The injury occurred early in the second quarter, when he was covering Calvin Austin III and ran across the middle of the field before falling to the turf as Jaxson Dart threw a touchdown to Malachi Fields.
Adams, the former Jets safety who has made three Pro Bowls and recorded a tackle for loss in the first quarter before the injury, was carted to the locker room.
“In such a short amount of time, Jamal has done such an unbelievable job coming here,” O’Connell said during an on-field interview after halftime. “You feel his passion every single day. Certainly felt it spending a few moments with him before they took him in.
“You’re just crushed for him, the role he was kind of paving for himself, and then just having a personality, experience, toughness that he brought in such a short amount of time. We’re going to miss him.”
It also marked the latest injury setback for Adams, who was limited to five games last season — while splitting time between the Raiders and Titans — and 10 combined games across the previous two seasons before that with Seattle.
He signed with the Vikings right before training camp, worked at both positions and told reporters that he was willing to play any position.
But after Saturday’s injury, Adams’ bid for another NFL chance will have to wait — and the Vikings’ Brian Flores-led defense will need to adjust, too.
