The Detroit Lions have been severely impacted by injuries on the defensive side of the ball, but they are beginning to get healthier. In the meantime, they’ve signed some players to fill in while their starters recover. One such player is veteran defender Jamal Adams, who made his debut last week against the Green Bay Packers.

Adams played eight snaps for Detroit after joining the team, recording one tackle and helping create pressure on his first snap. That play ended with Za’Darius Smith sacking Jordan Love. The Lions went on to win 34-31, improving to 12-1 on the 2024 season.

Detroit faces another crucial game against the Buffalo Bills this Sunday. Before that, Adams reflected on his return to the field and shared a phone call he had with former Detroit star Quandre Diggs. Adams and Diggs played together with the Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans this season.

“I reached out to him like, ‘Man, I’m going to the Lions!’ He thought it was a hell of an experience, and a hell of an opportunity for me, and said there’s nothing but great people around here,” Adams said, via 97.1 The Ticket’s Will Burchfield. “And I was like, ‘Man, I wish you could experience it with me.’ He was The Guy here, you know what I mean? He grew up here, he was drafted here and he deserves to be around a winning culture, for sure. But he’s definitely excited for me, man.”

Jamal Adams feels at home with the Lions.

After the Packers game, Jamal Adams had a bit of a slip of the tongue, mentioning a strong start to the season against Green Bay before correcting himself. It’s understandable for Adams to feel as if this is the start of a new season for him, as his last NFL game was on September 30 with the Titans, according to ESPN. The Titans released him in mid-October after he requested his release.

Adams acknowledged that things didn’t work out with the Titans. Having not played for over two months, he had time to prepare in case a team called. Now, he has a chance to compete for a Super Bowl with the top team in the NFC. And he believes this is the place he’s meant to be at this point in time.

“It felt like being back around winning football again,” he said of his debut against Green Bay via Burchfield. “Like, playoff atmosphere. The energy just felt like, I’m supposed to be here, man. I’m supposed to be a part of this.”

Adams is expected to play a larger role on Sunday against the Bills. A victory over Buffalo would break Detroit’s single-season franchise wins record and bring them closer to securing the top seed in the NFC. It’s definitely a game to watch on Sunday.