Pete Carroll: Seahawks S Jamal Adams Needs 'Whole Offseason' to Rehab Quad Injury

Though he's making steady progress in his return from a torn quad suffered in the Seattle Seahawks season opener, Jamal Adams won't have any shot to return even if the team earns a playoff spot winning the NFC West or as a wild card.

RENTON, Wash. - While coach Pete Carroll didn't completely dismiss the possibility injured running back Rashaad Penny could return for a playoff run next month, he quickly shot down any possibility of Jamal Adams making a similar miraculous comeback for the Seahawks this season.

Speaking with reporters after Friday's practice in preparation for a Week 14 matchup with Carolina, Carroll started off the press conference expressing his excitement to see Adams, who returned to the facility for a periodic check up with Seattle's medical staff. But although the safety appears to be on schedule - if not ahead of schedule - in his recovery from a torn quad, he's not close to seeing the field again anytime soon.

"I don't know what it is, but it's a full recovery now," Carroll said of Adams' recovery timeline. "It's going to take him the whole offseason."

According to Carroll, Adams has made positive progress through a "taxing" recovery after undergoing surgery to repair his torn quad in September. The veteran defender suffered the injury early in the second quarter against the Broncos when he tried to sack former teammate Russell Wilson in the backfield and then hobbled off the field.

Set a goal & GO GET IT! #Prez ♾ pic.twitter.com/31sEbl9B4n

— Jamal Adams (@Prez) December 7, 2022

Exiting on a medical cart from the sideline moments later, Adams quickly was ruled out for the rest of the game and placed on season-ending injured reserve days later. It marked the third straight year where he suffered a substantial injury, as he tore the labrum in his left shoulder in 2020 and 2021, requiring surgery both times. He reinjured the shoulder last November, abruptly ending his season with five games left to play.

In three seasons with the Seahawks since being acquired from the Jets in exchange for a pair of first round picks and a third round pick, Adams has missed a total of 20 games and by the end of the season, that number will jump to 25. This latest injury was especially demoralizing for the player and the organization given high expectations for him playing in new coordinator Clint Hurtt's hybrid 3-4 scheme, which was expected to accentuate his unique strengths.

Since undergoing his latest operation to repair his quad injury, Adams has been rehabbing away from the team in Texas. Beginning to reap the rewards of his hard work after several months working simply to get back on his feet again, he recently began posting clips of him working out on his social media accounts to take fans behind the scenes in his recovery.

"He's been through a lot," Carroll explained. "He'll tell you it's been rigorous to get back to where he's really walking and up on it and going and all. He's got a big old zipper on his knee and all that. This injury in particular is a difficult one, it's a challenging one. But he's doing great and he's happy about it now. He's finally going and can really feel the progress and can finally get strong and all that."

While Adams won't be back in uniform in 2022, he appears to be well on his way towards returning in time for the start of training camp next July. Two years after signing a then-record breaking $70 million contract extension, both he and Seattle will be hoping for a strong bounce back season after being sidelined for the final 16 regular season games.

In the meantime, with Carroll saying the player is in a good place mentally, Adams will continue to cheer on his teammates from afar as he continues to battle through another lengthy rehab and the Seahawks push for a spot in the playoffs. 

"It's just good to see him back and about and having that spirit around the building was great. We miss him. "

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