Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams suffered a ‘severe’ quad tendon injury that was carted off

SEATTLE — Seahawks safety Jamal Adams was carted off in the second quarter of Monday night’s 17-16 win over the Denver Broncos with what coach Pete Carroll deemed a serious injury to his left quadriceps tendon.

Adams was hurt after he blitzed former teammate Russell Wilson early in the second quarter, delivering pressure and a hit that helped force a third-down incompletion. Adams limped off in obvious pain. After being examined in the medical tent, he was helped onto an ambulance. Adams was visibly upset and at one point appeared to erupt in frustration as he was ushered into the dressing room and did not return.

“His quadriceps I think were damaged tonight,” Carroll said. “He got hurt. So it’s a serious injury.”

Adams had three tackles and a pass defensed — which came on a near interception — before his injury. Josh Jones replaced him for the rest of the match. Seattle also has Ryan Neal as a safety option. Neal made four starts in 2020 while Adams was sidelined with a groin injury.

Adams missed a combined nine games over his first two seasons with the Seahawks, including the final five last year after suffering another torn shoulder labrum that required surgery. He missed time early in training camp this summer after breaking the middle finger on his left hand, another injury he’s dealt with in the past.

Adams and the Seahawks hoped Seattle’s new defense — with its emphasis on split-safety looks — would put him in position for a breakout season. He set the NFL single-season sack record for a defensive back with 9.5 in 2020, then was held without a sack for 12 games last year before his season-ending shoulder injury.

Speaking last week for the first time since his latest finger injury, Adams said Seattle’s new defense puts him “in position to make plays.”

“I’m back in my element, man,” he said. “I feel like I’m back on defense.”

The Seahawks acquired Adams from the New York Jets in 2020 for a package that included first-round picks in 2021 and 2022. They signed him to a four-year, $70 million extension last summer, making him the NFL’s highest-paid safety.