Joe Douglas on Jamal Adams Contract Talks: Plan Is to Make Him a Jet for Life

Although New York Jets safety Jamal Adams likely has two years remaining before free agency, the team is already trying to lock him down on a new long-term deal.

"The plan is for Jamal to be a Jet for life," general manager Joe Douglas said Tuesday, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.

Douglas noted that there have been "some preliminary discussions" about a new contract.

The 24-year-old has a $7.08 million cap hit for 2020 in the final season of his rookie deal, but the team can exercise a fifth-year option to keep him under contract through 2021, per Spotrac.

Though NFL squads aren't usually in a rush to pay big money to young players under contract, Adams deserves a raise after being one of the most impactful defenders in the league last season.

The safety totaled 75 tackles and 10 tackles for loss in just 14 games while ranking second on the team with 6.5 sacks, more than any other defensive back in the NFL. He also scored touchdowns on a fumble return and an interception, trailing only Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters with three non-offensive touchdowns.

It was enough to be named first-team All-Pro after getting second-team honors last season.

Adams was also selected to the Pro Bowl for the second straight year following his 115-tackle effort in 2018.

Though the Jets had an up-and-down season, they went 6-2 in the second half of the year and are developing a talented young core around quarterback Sam Darnold and Adams. Locking down one of those key players early appears to be a priority for an organization on the rebuild.