Jamal Adams ruled out for Rams game, Devon Witherspoon unlikely to play

It was always going to be a tough ask for Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams to return for opening day after his quad injury last year, and now it’s confirmed by Pete Carroll that Adams will need more time before he’s ready to return.

Carroll told Sports Radio KJR that Adams will not play against the Los Angeles Rams as he continues his recovery process. Adams was removed off the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list during preseason, but hasn’t been a full practice participant.

“If you watched him work out you would not think that he couldn’t go. He’s really working hard at it,” Carroll said of Adams (via The Athletic). “We’ve got to make sure that when he’s back he stays back. We’re going to be really careful with how we do that. It’s a long season. There’s a tremendous amount of season ahead, (so) whether it’s the first couple games or whatever, I’m not worried about it.”

Also perhaps not surprising given the context is that rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon, Seattle’s top draft pick, is probably not going to make his debut against the Rams as he recovers from his hamstring injury.

“It’s going to be a race to get him for the opener,” Carroll said. “Might not get that.”

Witherspoon has been held out of practice since Aug. 7.

We can probably guess that the Seahawks will have new signing Julian Love start in Adams’ place, and Coby Bryant could remain the starting nickel in Witherspoon’s absence but that’s a little less set in stone. The positional versatility of both Love and Bryant could result in some interesting decisions schematically while Adams sand Witherspoon are out.