Minnesota Vikings safety Jamal Adams sustained a knee injury during the team's preseason game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. He was carted off the field in the first half of the Vikings' 13-10 victory.
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell stated after the game that the initial assessment of Adams' injury was "not good." Adams joined the Vikings on July 28, shortly before training camp, and was competing for a roster spot.
"In such a short amount of time, Jamal has done such an unbelievable job coming here," O'Connell said. "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."
Adams was covering a Giants receiver in the red zone when he fell to the turf with what appeared to be a non-contact injury. Prior to leaving the game, Adams had made a key stop on a run play and was active at his linebacker position.
The Vikings had planned to utilize Adams, who transitioned from safety to linebacker last season with the Seattle Seahawks, in a similar role. Adams, 30, has viewed himself as a versatile defensive player throughout his career.
Adams entered his 10th NFL season and had previously played for the New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, Detroit Lions, and Las Vegas Raiders. He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection and a First Team All-Pro in 2019 during his time with the Jets after being selected sixth overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. In that 2019 season, he recorded 6.5 sacks, 75 tackles, two forced fumbles, one interception returned for a touchdown, and seven passes defended in 14 games. He spent four seasons with the Seahawks before splitting the 2024 season between the Titans and Lions, then joining the Raiders in 2025.