Jamal Adams’ season is over before it even started.
The Minnesota Vikings veteran safety has reportedly been diagnosed with a season-ending knee injury, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Sunday.
Adams suffered the injury in Minnesota’s pre-season win over the New York Giants on Saturday. He was carted off the field at MetLife Stadium after he went down on a non-contact play while trying to cover a Giants receiver.
After the game, head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke to reporters and said initial examinations “don’t look good.”
The 30-year-old signed with the Vikings in free agency ahead of his ninth NFL season following a 2025 campaign with the Las Vegas Raiders. Adams has totalled 102 regular-season games, split between the New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, Detroit Lions and Raiders.
Adams was the sixth overall pick in 2017, taken by the Jets. He’d eventually make three consecutive all-pro and pro bowl teams between 2018 and 2020.
His career had been riddled with injuries since then — playing nine or fewer games in each the next six seasons — but took a turn for the better in 2025. Adams played 17 games (four starts) with the Raiders last year, logging one pass deflection, one forced fumble, one sack, two QB hits and 30 solo tackles.
The Vikings are looking to take a step forward after a 9-8 season last year, finishing third in the NFC North.