HENDERSON, Nev.—The Las Vegas Raiders returned to their 2025 NFL Training Camp today for what looked to be one of their best, and most crisp practices of the young season.
Our latest Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast offers our thoughts and observations from today's training camp practice with a particular conversation about all three quarterbacks.
Jamal Adams has been a superstar in this league, and after a devastating injury that required a two-year recovery, he is back and playing at a very high level.
Adams spoke today before practice about his transition from safety to linebacker, and numerous other subjects.
Las Vegas Raiders LB Jamal Adams
Las Vegas Raiders LB Jamal Adams / Darrell Craig Harris, On SI
Linebacker Jamal Adams
Q: First game at linebacker technically for you, how'd that go? You looked pretty natural out there, instinctive. How would you assess that? Jamal Adams: "Yeah, I think I did pretty well. Obviously some adjustment things. Obviously being closer to the line of scrimmage, it's a different lens than being in the back end. But for the first time being out there, I thought I did pretty good."
Q: You said on the broadcast that you had sent Pete Carroll some videos of you working out over the off season. How did that kind of start up and how did that lead you to ultimately sign here with the Raiders? Adams: "Yeah, man, I mean, obviously, I just been training like that with my DB coach Clay Mack back home, for years, man, since sixth grade. And obviously that's just been my training habits through the course of my career. Obviously the past couple of years have been down, not being able to really train like myself and do what I do. But obviously just sending out videos to hopefully get a call back, text back, and that's ultimately what came down to. So Coach Pete obviously reaching out and giving me that opportunity, I appreciate it."
Las Vegas Raiders Pete Carroll
Las Vegas Raiders Pete Carroll / Darrell Craig Harris, On SI
Q: A lot of times, fans don't have the perspective of what you were going through injury wise. I know you don't make excuses or anything like that, but how mentally draining was that, and what kind of patience was required by you just to say, "Look, I just got to put the time in. I'll get back, but it's just going to take a little bit?" Adams: "Obviously, man, tore my quad tendon off my kneecap, and obviously that's a two year recovery, two and a half year recovery, they say. And mentality wise, as a competitor, I was kind of like, 'I'm going to get back in a year,' which I did in 2023. Obviously, I just couldn't be myself. I couldn't really practice the way I wanted to, but mentally, it was definitely draining having to sit down when I didn't want to sit down. Obviously getting hurt game one and having to sit down for a whole year. I've never really been accustomed to that. And obviously it was different for me, very humbling, and for me to sit down and obviously just gain perspective, not even just football, just life after football, it was tough. It was a lot of dark days, but I fought through. I knew eventually I would get back out there, but it was going to take time, and it definitely did. So just to be where I'm at now, mentally and physically, I'm definitely back to who I am."
Las Vegas Raiders LB Jamal Adams
Las Vegas Raiders LB Jamal Adams / Darrell Craig Harris, On SI
Q: To your credit, the transition has been pretty seamless. You look very good at linebacker. Do you have any experience back in your career playing linebacker, high school, anywhere else, because it just seems like you've picked up the position so quickly? Adams: "Yeah, God is good, man, but I've never played linebacker. Even in Pop Warner, man, it was just more so safety and running back. So those were kind of my positions just growing up. And obviously I'm just a football player, man. See ball, get ball."
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