Jamal Adams Knee Injury Update and Timeline to Return to Vikings Revealed in New NFL Rumors

Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jamal Adams has been diagnosed with a season-ending knee injury after being carted to the locker room with a knee injury during Saturday's preseason game against the New York Giants, according to ESPN's Ian Rapoport.

According to The Athletic's Alec Lewis, the Vikings put Adams on a cart after he was examined in the medical tent on the sidelines.

Unfortunately for Adams and the Vikings, the injury will ultimately cost him the 2026 season.

Adams played 11 defensive snaps in the game, including a terrific tackle for loss on Devin Singletary late in the first quarter.

Lewis added Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell was doing his best to comfort Adams on the sideline.

"Jamal has done such an unbelievable job coming here," O'Connell said. "You feel his passion every single day. . . . 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. We're going to need to see some guys here step up. But what I told Jamal is our organization, we've got our arms wrapped around him. And he's a part of this thing. But you absolutely hate to see that."

The Vikings signed Adams on July 28 to boost their linebacker depth, but he was also getting work at his regular position of safety.

Defensive coordinator Brian Flores' unique scheme made someone like Adams, with his ability to shift between the second- and third-levels, a potentially strong fit.

Adams spent last season with the Las Vegas Raiders. He appeared in all 17 games, two more than he had in the previous three years combined. It was his first time playing every game in a season since 2018.

The No. 6 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft, Adams has spent time with the New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, Detroit Lions and Raiders before joining the Vikings.

Adams made the All-Pro team in three consecutive years from 2018 to '20.