As he entered his fifth season in the NFL, S Jamal Adams and the Seattle Seahawks agreed to terms on a contract extension. Let take a look at the details of Adam’s contract and what it means in terms of his salary cap impact on the Seahawks.
Jamal Adams’ contract details and bonuses
After the Jets selected him sixth overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, Adams signed a four-year contract that contained a fifth-year option. The original four-year deal was worth a fully guaranteed $22.3 million. That included a $14.3 million signing bonus and around $8 million split between roster bonuses and salary.
On July 25, 2020, Adams was traded to the Seahawks ahead of the final year of the original four-year contract. Prior to the trade, the Jets had picked up the fifth-year option worth $9.9 million. Following the trade, Adams left behind $3.6 million in dead money with the Jets for the 2020 season.
Adam’s second contract is a four-year extension on top of those five years, carrying him through until he has been in the NFL for nine years in total. Adams’ extension is worth $70 million, with $38 million guaranteed.
Adams has five years remaining on his contract
The 2021 NFL season will be the fifth-year option on Adams’ rookie deal. Therefore, the four-year extension means he is now potentially under contract in Seattle for five more years, including 2021.
What impact does Adams’ deal have on the Seahawks’ salary cap?
The structure of Adam’s contract extension will be interesting. He was due to count just under $9.9 million against the salary cap. It is very likely that the Seahawks will have structured this extension to initially reduce Adams’ cap number in 2021.
Once the full contract details are known, we will update this section with the full numbers.
What could the future hold for the Seahawks and Adams following this new contract?
The structure of this contract is going to be important. We know there are $38 million in guarantees, but how much of that is in the deal beyond 2022. The answer to that question will shape the future relationship between Adams and the Seahawks.
If there is guaranteed money in 2023, or the signing bonus ensures a large amount of dead money, the Seahawks could effectively be tying themselves to Adams for three more years. It is unlikely there will be much in the way of guarantees in the final two years of the deal.
Ben Rolfe is a content director at Pro Football Network and is also a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA). You can find him on Twitter @BenRolfePFN.