Jamal Adams has made NFL headlines again before the 2026 regular season has even started. That is because he will not play this season due to a knee injury.
Adams signed a one-year contract worth $1.2 million with the Minnesota Vikings on July 28. However, he got hurt in the Vikings’s preseason game, a 13-10 Minnesota win over the New York Giants.
Adams’s specific injury was a torn right quadriceps tendon. According to Kevin Seifert of ESPN, Adams fell in a non-contact play early in the second quarter when he went to the ground during pass coverage. Adams was carted to the locker room from the sidelines.
In Adams’s place, the Vikings have signed cornerback Bryce Phillips of Long Beach, California. Undrafted, Phillips played his college football at San Diego State.
Adams had the opportunity to blend right into the Vikings team. That is because he has worn a purple suit in the past. The Vikings have always been known as the Purple People Eaters.
This past season with the Las Vegas Raiders, Adams had 45 combined tackles (30 solo tackles and 15 assisted tackles), five tackles for a loss, two quarterback hits, one forced fumble and one sack. The forced fumble came in a 14-12 Raiders win over the Kansas City Chiefs on January 4.
Minnesota is trying to regroup after a disappointing 2026 NFL season where they missed the playoffs. One factor that is in Minnesota’s favour is some momentum. Minnesota ended the 2026 NFL season on a five game winning streak.
