The Denver Broncos made Justin Simmons the highest-paid safety in the NFL earlier this offseason. Jamal Adams should leapfrog him soon.
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Friday on NFL NOW that a deal between Adams and the Seattle Seahawks making the former first-round pick the top-paid player at his position should come down before the start of the season.
"(The Seahawks) are willing to make him, according to my sources, the highest-paid safety in the NFL," Garafolo said. "Now if I'm Jamal Adams, I say, 'Well I'm a safety and a linebacker.' Even though those linebackers sometimes make comparable money, you're going to make your case. The bottom line is the Seahawks in their offers have already come in at the highest-paid safety. Justin Simmons jumped to the top of the market for the Broncos. They're willing to go higher than that. So to me, they're in the right realm already. So I believe at some point before the start of the season, this gets done between the Seahawks and Jamal Adams because they're where they should be as far as making him the highest-paid safety."
Adams is set to make $9.86 million on his fifth-year option in 2021. He was excused from mandatory minicamp last month for personal reasons.
Simmons signed a four-year $61 million contract with the Broncos in March, resetting a stagnant safety market. Simmons' deal averages $15.25 million over the four years, topping Budda Baker, who sits at $14.75 million per season.
Adams may view the $19 million per year deal linebacker Fred Warner got from the San Francisco 49ers this week and believe, as a do-it-all safety, he's worth closer to that figure than the safety market.
Seattle linebacker Bobby Wagner earns $18 million per year on his contract, which NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport added the Seahawks would like to keep as their highest defensive player contract.
A new deal for Adams that puts him atop the safety market but below Wagner could come in around the $17 million per year mark.
Regardless, it sounds like sides are close to making Adams the highest-paid safety in the NFL. It was a reality that was destined from the moment the Seahawks shipped two first-round picks to the New York Jets for the former No. 6 overall selection.
