The Seahawks once made Earl Thomas the league’s highest-paid safety, giving him a four-year, $40 million extension after the 2013 season. They let Thomas walk in free agency in 2019, which turned out to be a wise decision.
But the Seahawks again have one of the league’s top safeties who wants to be paid as such.
Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports the Seahawks are willing to make Jamal Adams the highest-paid safety in the NFL.
“They’re in the right realm already, so I believe at some point before the start of the season, this gets done between the Seahawks and Jamal Adams because they’re where they should be as far as making him the highest-paid safety,” Garafolo said.
Adams is set to play out this season on his fifth-year option, which carries a salary of $9.86 million. Justin Simmons became the league’s highest-paid safety in March, signing a four-year, $61 million deal with the Broncos.
Simmons’ $15.25 million per year average tops Budda Baker’s $14.75 million per season with the Cardinals.
Adams, who set an NFL single-season record for most sacks by a defensive back, might view himself closer to being a Fred Warner than a Simmons, per Garafolo. Warner signed a $19 million a year deal this week with the 49ers, but the Seahawks want to keep Bobby Wagner as their highest-paid defensive player at $18 million a year, per NFL Media.
Adams missed the team’s mandatory minicamp with an excused absence for personal reasons.
Considering what the Seahawks spent in draft capital in trading with the Jets for Adams, the team has as much of a desire to get a long-term deal done as the Pro Bowler does. The Jets traded Adams over a contract dispute last July, a month after Adams officially requested a trade.