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Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New York Jets signed former Green Bay Packers safety Adrian Amos on Tuesday, the team announced.
The move came as a surprise because they have two starting-caliber safeties in Chuck Clark and Jordan Whitehead, but it was later learned that Clark suffered a potentially significant knee injury last week in practice, a source confirmed.
The Jets fear the injury, first reported by The Athletic, could be season-ending. Clark will seek a second opinion, the source said, but the preliminary results are grim.
Clark, 28, was acquired in a March trade with the Baltimore Ravens. The Jets sent a 2024 seventh-round pick to Baltimore for the six-year veteran, one of the most durable players in the NFL. Clark has played in 96 out of 97 games and ended last season with a streak of more than 1,200 consecutive defensive snaps, dating to 2021.
The Jets had high hopes for Clark, who impressed the coaches with his steady demeanor and cerebral approach. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said recently the on-field relationship between Clark and Whitehead was “exceptional.”
Once Clark got hurt, the Jets pivoted quickly to Amos, a free agent. He signed a one-year deal that could be worth up to $4 million, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Amos played mostly free safety with the Packers, so he should complement Whitehead, a natural strong safety.
The backups are headed by Tony Adams and Ashtyn Davis. Amos becomes the latest former Green Bay Packers player to join quarterback Aaron Rodgers in New York, following receivers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb and offensive lineman Billy Turner.
Amos, 30, was the model of consistency and reliability for the Packers since he signed a four-year, $36 million contract as a free agent in 2019.
He started every game over the past four seasons and finished in the top three in tackles on the Packers in each of those years. He’s one of only four defensive players in the NFL to start all 82 regular-season games over the past five years, joining Kevin Byard, Leonard Floyd and Devin McCourty, who retired after the 2022 season.
Last season, he finished second on the Packers with 102 tackles. Amos’ 148 solo tackles over the last two seasons rank third in the NFL among defensive backs behind Harrison Smith (149) and Jalen Thompson (158).
He played his first four seasons for the Chicago Bears, who picked him in the fifth round of the 2015 draft.
He’s never been a big takeaways player, but seven of his 10 career interceptions came during his four seasons in Green Bay.
Rob Demovsky contributed to this report.
