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SEATTLE — Seahawks safety Jamal Adams has been fined $50,000 for directing “verbal remarks’’ and making “inappropriate physical contact’’ with an independent concussion doctor during an evaluation of a teammate in Sunday’s game at Cincinnati, a league source confirmed to The Seattle Times.
CBSSports.com first reported the fine.
CBSSports.com first revealed that in a letter to Adams this week, the league said he “interfered with orderly administration of the game when the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant (UNC) was walking with Seahawks wide receiver Jake Bobo to the blue medical tent for evaluation of a concussion” against the Bengals.
Bobo took a hard hit from Bengals safety Dax Hill after a 20-yard pass reception with about four minutes left in the third quarter of Sunday’s eventual 17-13 loss. The league reviewed tape of the incident before levying the fine.
What appears to be part of that interaction can be seen at about the 5:20 mark of this All Access video review of the game posted by the Seahawks. Adams can be seen yelling “he good, he good, he good” as Bobo is transported into the blue medical tent to be evaluated. Bobo was not diagnosed with a concussion and returned to the game.
Adams suffered a concussion in a game against the New York Giants on Oct. 2 and the league investigated his conduct toward the concussion doctor in that game but then decided against levying any discipline. That action came after Adams took to the social media platform X to apologize.
A source confirmed that the league fined Adams solely for his actions in the Bengals game and did not consider his actions in the Giants game.
The fine also did not take into account another incident Adams had with a concussion spotter while playing for the Jets in 2019. In a game against the Dolphins a concussion spotter forced Adams to head to the locker room to be examined with a minute left in the game.
Adams told the New York Post later he was upset to have to leave the game. He was not diagnosed with a concussion in that game, which the Jets lost 26-18.
“I was upset because what if that was a crucial part of the game to where we’re in the ballgame and they take me out and I’m fine,” Adams said after the 2019 game. “I was telling them I was good.
“I just made a sack. I just made a tackle for a loss. I was fine, but they said I got hit in the head. They called down and they wanted to see me.That’s really frustrating, man, because that’s really crucial. I want to be out there with my brothers. Win, lose or draw, I want to fight with them. I was upset about that.”
The consultants (or UNCs) are hired to help team physicians assess possible concussions, but as stated in the league’s concussion protocol, final decisions are left to the team doctors and trainers.
Adams delivered his apology following the Giants game shortly after it had been reported later that week that he could face discipline — though the specifics of the possible discipline were not revealed.
“First and foremost, I want to apologize to the OG,” Adams wrote. “You did everything right when you realized I was concussed, I apologize for any negative energy I brought your way.
“Watching the replay, I am thankful for your patience knowing I wasn’t myself in that moment. You’re a real one and you serve a great purpose that benefits the NFL and so many players. Prioritizing player’s health is essential. Much respect to you.”
Adams was injured on a play when he was struck in the helmet by the knee of Giants quarterback Daniel Jones in the first quarter and forced to leave after playing just nine snaps.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said after the Giants game that Adams “will be fine” but acknowledged he was frustrated that he couldn’t continue to play in what was his first game since Sept. 12, 2022.
“He was in the tank over it because he just wanted to keep playing,’’ Carroll said later that week on his radio show on Seattle Sports 710.
Adams was cleared out of concussion protocol on the Thursday before the Bengals game and played 46 of a possible 54 snaps.
