CLEVELAND — The Jets’ defense features plenty of stars, but one player who has flown under the radar this season is safety Tony Adams.
The second-year player won the starting free safety job out of training camp and has started 13 of the team’s 15 games. Adams has made big plays this season, including the interception against the Eagles that set up the game-winning score.
Last week, he intercepted Commanders quarterback Sam Howell on the second play of the game.
It has been a big season of growth for Adams, who was undrafted out of Illinois.
“I’m grateful for this season,” Adams said. “I’ve learned a lot. My mindset kind of moving forward from this season, just reflecting on it, is I win or I learn. The losses, I just found a way to deal with it and keep learning throughout the process. I learned a lot about myself. I learned a lot about my character. I think I’m going to just keep getting better.”
Adams said he won’t get complacent entering next year, even though he has been a starter.
“I think my mindset will still be the same,” Adams said, “just knowing that I am an undrafted free agent and understanding there’s going to be another Tony Adams that walks in here hungry, looking to take somebody’s job. Just always understanding that and never getting comfortable but understanding that you belong.”
One of the wildest moments of the season for Adams came in Buffalo last month when he suffered a compound fracture in his left pinky.
The bone was sticking out of the skin when Adams looked at his hand. But the Jets trainers were able to perform surgery on the finger in the locker room and Adams returned to the game.
He still has a wrap on the finger.
“I’m not going to lie, I was fighting it in the locker room, just trying to fight the pain, thinking damn, this hurts,” Adams said. “I think what did it for me is just understanding my love for the game and my love for those guys. If I was thinking about myself, I probably wouldn’t have done it. They told me that it could get infected. I was just thinking about my teammates and I just wanted to finish the game, win or lose.”
Adams has shown he belongs in the NFL this season and has been an integral piece of the defense.
Rookie RB Izzy Abanikanda got his most playing time last week against Washington and had nine rushes for 43 yards.
He should be in line for a bigger role in the final two games.
“He’s got juice, man,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said. “I don’t want to call it fresh legs because that would be doing him a disservice, but we know from training camp and just overall draft process. … I thought he did a really nice job.”
K Greg Zuerlein (quad) is questionable for Thursday’s game.
The Jets signed K Austin Seibert to the practice squad.
He can be elevated Thursday if Zuerlein can’t play.
The Jets also placed OT Duane Brown on IR and signed TE Zack Kuntz from the practice squad.
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