Report: Jamal Adams will show up to camp even if a new deal hasn’t been completed

One major question as Seahawks players get set to report Tuesday appears to have an answer — will safety Jamal Adams show up even if he doesn’t have a new contract?

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the answer is yes.

Adams is entering the final year of his contract, due to make $9.86 million in 2021 on what is the fifth-year option of his initial rookie deal that was exercised by the Jets before he was traded to Seattle in July, 2020.

The expectation is Adams will get a multiyear extension before the season.

But some had wondered if Adams might hold out if he did not have the extension in place before camp begins. Adams did not take part in the team’s mandatory minicamp in June, though the team said he had an excused absence for personal reasons.

That the Seahawks termed it an excused absence meant Adams was not subject to fines of up to $93,085 for not taking part. Reporting for camp means Adams will not be subject to fines of $50,000 a day for holding out. However, because Adams is on his rookie contract the Seahawks could waive any fines. Fines for veterans can no longer be waived, via the league’s CBA.

Rapoport reported the Seahawks and Adams are not “close at all’’ on a new deal. But he said the expectation is that Adams will report regardless.

“I don’t expect any issues at all with Adams showing up,’’ Rapoport said on the NFL Network on Monday morning. “We’ll see for sure tomorrow if he does. But that is, of course, the expectation.’’

Adams wants a contract that makes him at least the highest-paid safety in the NFL, which means a deal that surpasses the $15.25 million a year of Denver’s Justin Simmons. There’s never been a thought that’s been an issue for Seattle, only how much they’re willing to go beyond that number. 

One recent report suggested Seattle does not want to give Adams more than middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, whose $18 million a year is the highest it has ever paid a defensive player and is second on the team after Russell Wilson.

So, somewhere between $15.25 million and $18 million appears to be the sweet spot for Seattle to get a deal done, assuming Adams is OK with not topping $18 million.

Rapoport indicated that while the two sides might not be close at the moment, they also might not be far away in the big picture, stating “eventually, this will be a deal that I think both sides will be happy with and Jamal Adams will likely be a very, very rich man.”

And the Seahawks have a history of deals getting done either right as camp begins, or shortly after. Wagner’s 2019 deal, for instance, was completed following the second day of training camp, with Wagner not taking part in on-field drills until the contract was signed.

Adams, too, could follow that precedent of reporting but not putting himself at risk on the field until a deal is done.

The Seahawks will practice for the first time Wednesday at the VMAC in Renton. Per the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the first three days of practice must contain no contact. Beginning with the fourth practice, on Saturday, players can go full speed wearing helmets and light gear. It’s not until day seven that teams can conduct full-padded practices.  

Seattle acquired Adams for a hefty package that included first-round draft choices in 2021 and 2022, and all along it’s been thought the Seahawks understood the minute the trade was done it would cost a lot to keep him and were willing to make sure that happened.

Adams, 25, had 9 1/2 sacks last season for the Seahawks, which set an NFL record for defensive backs.