Jamal Adams desperately wants to be part of the solution for Jets
Jamal Adams always has the loudest voice in the room, whether it’s on the field or in the locker room. If he’s talking football or talking trash, he demands your attention.
That’s why Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan figures to hear an earful when the vocal safety holds his exit meeting at the conclusion of the season. He plans to have a sincere discussion with management about the direction of the team.
“I just want to get on the same page,” Adams told The Post on Thursday. “We’ve got to change this.”
Adams, the Jets’ first-round pick in 2017 from LSU, was voted to his first Pro Bowl this year, despite the team’s 4-11 record. After vowing last year he would never miss another Pro Bowl, Adams had a breakout season, recording 101 tackles, 3.5 sacks, seven quarterback hits, 11 passes defensed and one interception. The son of former Giants running back George Adams has earned the right to be heard. He won’t have one foot out of the door like most players during their exit meetings.
“It’s not to go up there and argue with anybody or disagree,” Adams said. “It’s all about getting on the same page and working to change this thing around.”
In just his second season, Adams has had enough losing. The Jets were 5-11 last year and ruined a 3-3 start this season by losing eight of their past nine games. This was obviously a year of transition with rookie Sam Darnold starting at quarterback. But a better, more consistent product was expected.
The Jets have repeatedly hurt themselves with mistakes and need an upgrade at several positions. The coaching staff will be overhauled, too. Todd Bowles has won just nine games over the past two seasons and likely will be fired after Sunday’s season finale against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
Adams, 22, has been a huge supporter of Bowles, saying the coach is “not the problem” for the Jets’ struggles. In an earlier interview with WFAN, Adams added, “There are other problems in that building,” referring to the Jets’ training facility in Florham Park.
Jets CEO and chairman Christopher Johnson has advocated an open-door policy with his players, aligning with them during the controversy over NFL players kneeling during the national anthem. He and Maccagnan should have a good listen to what Adams has to say.
Adams and Darnold are the franchise players on their respective sides of the ball and deserve to have some input, though Darnold isn’t nearly as comfortable and outspoken as Adams, whose father played for the ’86 Giants Super Bowl team. The younger Adams won’t be happy until he gets his own ring.
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“He is so proud of me making the Pro Bowl,” Adams said of his father. “But I want to be a part of changing this whole thing.”
Playing the Patriots on Sunday only adds to Adams’ frustration. New England clinched its 10th straight AFC East title last week, becoming the first team in NFL history to achieve that milestone. If that’s not impressive enough, the Patriots have won the division 16 of the 18 seasons since Tom Brady became the starting quarterback. Excuse Adams for not applauding.
“We’ve got to change that,” he said. “The Patriots have done a phenomenal job. Each year they go out and they earn it. They do the right things and they’re well-coached and they play together as a team. But we’ve got to change things around as far as who the AFC East champion is. That’s our goal.”
If change doesn’t start Sunday against the Patriots, it will start during his exit meeting. Adams wouldn’t offer any specifics other than to say he hopes it’s a productive conversation. He wants the Jets to be champions.
“It’s time,” he said Thursday. “Even before I got here, it was time. This fan base deserves it. The organization deserves it. I want to be a part of that.”
