The Jacksonville Jaguars have cut linebacker Tyrell Adams after a disappointing preseason left them with more depth than they could carry onto their 53-man roster. Adams, now in his eighth season in the NFL, was buried on the team’s depth chart as the third-string backup behind Devin Lloyd and Shaquille Quarterman.
Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reported Adams’ release.
He managed just four tackles in the Jaguars first three preseason games before going off for seven in their effort against the Atlanta Falcons this weekend. Perhaps his stand-out performance at Mercedes Benz Stadium will be enough to land him another job elsewhere, but it became clear when Jacksonville cut him loose that he would not have an opportunity to show what he could do in Duval County in the regular season.
Adams entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2015 and has played for no less than eight teams over the course of his eight seasons in the league. His longest stint was with the Texans from 2018 to 2020, where he enjoyed moderate success on Houston’s defense as a sporadic contributor.
Now faced with starting from scratch, Adams will look to catch on as a practice squad candidate with a team in need of a veteran linebacker to shore up their defensive depth. His options are likely to be very few as he enters his age 30 season, but with the league’s new expanded practice squad rosters, Adams could potentially carve himself out a meaningful role as a journeyman mentor to younger players.
This move is likely an indication that the Jaguars will roster Shaquille Quarterman this season, though Adams’ fellow third-string backup Chappelle Russell may also be facing the waiver wire or outright release in the near future.
Jacksonville’s deepest part on their roster is the linebacker corps, so moves like this are to be expected as they look to give opportunities to potential regular season contributors at other key positions.
