Jamal Adams Injury Update: Minnesota Vikings Star Carted Off With Severe Knee Damage in Pre-Season

Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jamal Adams was carted off the field with a potentially serious right knee injury on Saturday during the first half of his team's 13-10 preseason victory over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.

The setback occurred less than three weeks after Adams joined Minnesota in late July. The veteran arrived just before training camp and faced competition for a place on the Vikings' roster as he sought another opportunity in the NFL.

Jamal Adams Suffers Knee Injury During Preseason

The alarming moment unfolded in the second quarter as Adams attempted to cover Giants receiver Calvin Austin III. While sprinting across the field during the play, the defender suddenly collapsed to the turf.

It was an apparent non-contact incident, and Adams remained on the ground after the play. Medical staff attended to him before he was eventually taken by cart to the Vikings' locker room for further evaluation.

The injury occurred on the same play that Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart completed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Malachi Fields. Adams had played 11 defensive snaps and recorded one tackle before leaving the game

Minnesota Vikings Await Jamal Adams Knee Scans

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell offered a concerning initial assessment during an in-game interview, saying the first examination of Adams' knee 'doesn't look good.' Further imaging was expected to determine the extent of the injury.

'In such a short amount of time, Jamal has done such an unbelievable job coming here,' O'Connell said. 'You feel his passion every single day. Certainly felt it spending a few moments with him before they took him in. You're just crushed for him, the role he was kind of paving for himself, and then just having a personality, experience, toughness that he brought in such a short amount of time. We're going to miss him.'

O'Connell's comments reflected the team's concern, although neither the Vikings nor medical staff had confirmed the severity of the injury immediately after the game. The setback was particularly frustrating for Adams after he had made an early impact in his Minnesota debut, including a tackle for loss against Giants running back Devin Singletary.

Jamal Adams Faces Tough NFL Roster Battle

Adams entered 2026 preparing for his 10th NFL season, navigating the kind of roster uncertainty that rarely troubled his earlier career. Selected sixth overall by the New York Jets out of LSU in 2017, he quickly became one of the team's leading defensive players.

He earned Pro Bowl honours in 2018 and 2019, as well as first-team All-Pro honours in 2019, after recording 6.5 sacks, 75 tackles, two forced fumbles, a pick-six and seven passes defended in 14 games.

Subsequent chapters proved more turbulent. The Jets traded him to the Seattle Seahawks in 2020, where he spent four seasons, before he split the 2024 campaign between the Tennessee Titans and Detroit Lions. He then played for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025.

Adams appeared in all 17 games for Las Vegas last season after playing just 15 games combined over the previous three seasons, when injuries repeatedly disrupted his career.

Over that span, Adams transitioned from his traditional safety spot into a linebacker role, although Minnesota had been using him in both positions as defensive coordinator Brian Flores explored a versatile role for the veteran.

The non-contact nature of Saturday's injury and O'Connell's initial assessment have raised concerns about Adams' availability for the coming season. However, the Vikings had not announced a diagnosis or recovery timetable immediately after the game.

Further medical testing will determine whether the injury represents another lengthy setback for Adams or whether he can return during the 2026 season.