Jamal Adams contract details reveal just how far the ex-Jets safety has fallen

There was a time not too long ago when former NY Jets safety Jamal Adams was considered one of the best defensive players in the entire NFL. That's what makes his fall-off all the more stunning.

Adams officially signed a one-year, veteran salary benefit contract worth $1.125 million in guarantees with the Tennessee Titans on Friday. For all intents and purposes, this is a veteran minimum contract for the former All-Pro safety.

The veteran salary benefit is a unique exception in the NFL's rulebook that allows a team to sign a veteran player to a minimum contract (with applicable service time) but only have to count said player at the salary level of a player with two years of service time against the cap.

The specific contract allows the team to save a little extra cap space on veteran bottom-of-the-roster players. These contracts are typically handed out to veteran specialists or those fighting for a roster spot.

As a side note, this contract is also the reason the Jets were unable to re-sign Thomas Morstead this offseason until the official start of the new league year. Players who played on a veteran salary benefit contract the previous season are unable to sign new contracts until the new league year begins.

But as far as Adams is concerned, all you need to know is that he essentially signed a veteran minimum contract. His fall from grace has been sudden and astonishing.

Jamal Adams's career fell apart after leaving the NY Jets

There was a point in time when Adams was genuinely the best safety in the NFL with the Jets. The former first-round pick earned three straight All-Pro appearances between 2018 and 2020, including a first-team All-Pro nod in his final year with the Jets in 2019.

His first year in Seattle was highlighted by a historic 9.5-sack campaign, although his gaudy sack numbers were enough to mask troubling inconsistencies that showed up on his film. Those inconsistencies would partially contribute to his downfall.

Adams has been hit hard by the injury bug since leaving New York as well. After missing just two games in three seasons with the Jets, Adams hasn't appeared in more than 12 games in a season since leaving the organization.

He's played in just 10 total games over the last two seasons, missing essentially the entirety of the 2022 season due to a torn quad. Combine those injuries with his significantly declined level of play and you get a mid-summer veteran minimum signing.

Adams has gone from the highest-paid safety in the NFL to a pre-training camp addition who will be fighting for a roster spot on a minimum salary in just a few short years.

The Titans did guarantee all of Adams's contract, so he seems likely to earn a spot on the 53-man roster. That should set up an opportunity for the former Pro Bowler to get a chance to exact revenge against his former team when the Jets play Tennessee in Week 2 of this season.

But it's safe to say that the Jets likely don't have much to worry about in regard to their former star safety. His latest contract is proof that his NFL career, even at just 28 years old, is hanging by a thread.