New Lions defender Jamal Adams said signing with a ‘first-class organization’ is a ‘dream come true.’
New Detroit Lions defender Jamal Adams was down in Dallas training, staying ready for his next NFL opportunity when his phone rang. It was from Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, but he missed it.
That’s when the texts came rolling in. His dad and agent were blowing up his phone, hoping to get him to return the call.
“AG? From Detroit?” he recalled saying.
That it was Glenn on the other line meant a lot to Adams, and it made coming to Detroit a no-brainer. Back during his LSU pro day in 2017, it was Glenn—then the defensive backs coach of the Saints—who was running the drills.
“From that point on, we’ve always kept a close connection,” Adams said. “So, a hell of a coach, as everybody knows, but an even better person.”
Joining the Lions also gives the 29-year-old defender a chance at a deep postseason run and a Super Bowl—two things he has never experienced in his eight-year career. He has only made it to the playoffs twice, and both times his team was bounced in the Wild Card round.
“It’s a dream come true,” Adams said of this opportunity. “They didn’t have to call me, they didn’t need me, they’ve been doing phenomenal. So just to get that call from a first-class organization like the Detroit Lions, it’s a no-brainer for me again, I’m just grateful for my opportunity and wherever they want me out there, whenever they call my name and call my number, I’m there.”
Adams joins a Lions defense that has been decimated by injuries, particularly at the linebacker position. In the past month alone, they’ve placed Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Alex Anzalone, and Malcolm Rodriguez on injured reserve. While Adams is more traditionally thought of as a safety, he has recently made a living playing in the box, and during Monday’s practice, Adams was working with the linebackers during the individual portion.
“I just feel like I can do a little bit of everything,” Adams said. “Whatever they ask me to do, I’m definitely going to do it to the best of my ability and just fly around and continue to make plays.”
In 83 career games (81 starts), Adams has 498 tackles, 21.5 sacks, 42 QB hits, four interceptions, seven forced fumbles, and 36 passes defended. A little bit of everything, indeed.
It’s unclear how quickly Adams can get acclimated and appear in games. The Lions signed him to the practice squad, but reports suggest the expectation is he’ll eventually be elevated to the gameday roster. Could that be as soon as Thursday against the Green Bay Packers? When asked how quickly he expects to play, Adams just smiled and said:
“We’ll see.”
