Vikings’ Jamal Adams Out For Season With Knee Injury

by USports EditorsAugust 17, 2026, 2:19 pm >

Minnesota Vikings defender Jamal Adams will miss the entirety of the 2026 season after suffering a right knee injury during Saturday’s 13-10 preseason win over the New York Giants.

The injury occurred early in the second quarter as Adams, playing in coverage on a crossing route, stumbled to the turf without any contact from an opposing player. The play unfolded as Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart connected with Malachi Fields for a touchdown elsewhere on the field. Adams remained in the Vikings’ medical tent for an extended period, visited by teammates Josh Metellus, Byron Murphy Jr. and Theo Jackson, along with head coach Kevin O’Connell and defensive coordinator Brian Flores, before ultimately being carted off to the locker room. He had played just 11 snaps in the game.

O’Connell addressed the injury shortly after halftime, saying the initial exam did not look good, though the team wanted to wait for further imaging Sunday before confirming the full extent of the damage. That imaging ultimately confirmed the worst-case outcome: a season-ending injury. O’Connell spoke emotionally about Adams afterward, saying he felt his passion for the game every day and that the coaching staff was crushed for him, given the role he had been carving out for himself on the roster in such a short time.

The Vikings signed Adams, 30, just before the start of training camp, in part because of his prior relationship with new general manager Nolan Teasley, who worked alongside him during their time with the Seattle Seahawks.

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A first-round pick out of LSU in 2017, Adams built his reputation as one of the league’s most disruptive safeties early in his career, earning three Pro Bowl selections and an All-Pro nod during stints with the New York Jets and Seahawks. Last season, playing for the Las Vegas Raiders, Adams transitioned into more of a linebacker role and recorded 45 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble across all 17 games, marking the first time he had played a full season since 2018.

Injuries have plagued the back half of Adams’ career, limiting him to just one game in 2022, nine in 2023, and five in 2024 before his full-season return last year. With Adams now facing a lengthy recovery at 31 and set to become a free agent again next offseason, the injury raises real questions about his professional future, while also leaving a notable void in Flores’ defensive plans for a Vikings team that missed the playoffs a year ago.