In February 2025, the New York Jets were labeled the worst team in the league for ownership in the NFL Players Association workplace survey. Players pointed to a culture of fear tied to Woody Johnson. Now, a year later, that conversation has resurfaced with a former coach who lived it firsthand amid Jamal Adams’ frustration.

Soon after, the spotlight shifted to Gang Green when Blake Williams, a defensive assistant from 2019 to 2020, opened up about his experience. According to Williams, the environment inside the building was unbearable.

“People don’t understand how incredibly toxic it was,” he wrote on X.

More importantly, Williams connected the dots to Jamal Adams while explaining his own exit.

“I was there. He wasn’t the only one who wanted out. Coaching was the only thing I ever wanted to do. I literally retired & went into finance & the private business world for 5 years after leaving. Jamal was a multi-All-Pro/Pro-Bowl at the Jets.”

The whole conversation started on a social media exchange involving a person named Tony Vegas and Jamal Adams.

Vegas posted a clip of Sam Darnold reflecting on his career and shared Darnold’s words: “The days in New York, the days in Carolina—those were part of my journey, and they’re part of my experience—and I loved every single part of it.”

Along with the video, Vegas added, “If another fanbase asks why I’m not angry about Sam potentially winning a superbowl with another franchise, I’d show them this video. This mindset is why guys like him succeeded and guys like Jamal Adams failed.”

Naturally, that last line hit a nerve, and Adams quickly fired back, writing, “Failed? How so?”

It is worth noting that Adams’ final stretch with Gang Green was complicated. Back in 2020, Adams admitted he was battling depression before eventually being traded. Even so, calling him a failure ignores what he actually did on the field.

In Jets colors, Adams built a strong resume. He was named to the Pro Bowl twice in his first three seasons, earned All-Pro Second Team honors in Year 2, and followed that up with All-Pro First Team recognition in Year 3. As a bona fide star, he wanted to be paid like one. However, the Jets were not prepared to meet the number he believed he had earned.

At that point, the relationship reached a breaking point. The talented safety asked out, and the franchise agreed. Eventually, he was sent to the Seattle Seahawks along with a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Taken together, Williams’ words and Adams’ frustration point back to the same issue: the Jets’ toxic culture. However, Adams has always been vocal about his Jets’ tenure.

Jamal Adams battled depression while playing with the Jets

As Jamal Adams opened up again about his struggles in New York, his past with the New York Jets took on a much heavier meaning. Toward the end of his run with the franchise, Adams admitted he was in a dark place, and while several things contributed, one comment stood out. On the All Things Covered podcast back in 2020, he bluntly said the Jets “do not want to win,” a belief that weighed on him deeply.

“I fought depression in New York,” Adams said. “And I’m man enough to say it. I came home after a tough loss and just sat in my room in the dark—no phone, no TV. [My dad] hated to see me like that. It killed my pops so much … He was calling my agent at the time, saying, ‘Hey man, I don’t like seeing my son like this. I need him out of this situation.’ It took a toll on my life outside of football.”

Before everything unraveled, Adams arrived as a cornerstone piece. The Jets selected him No. 6 overall in 2017, and over three seasons he piled up 273 total tackles and two interceptions. However, as time passed, tension grew with the front office.

“Let’s be honest. The Jets were the laughingstock,” Adams said back in 2020.

Interestingly, before the 2025 season, a reunion with Gang Green briefly felt possible. That never materialized, and Adams instead joined the Raiders while also making it clear he did not want a return to New York at that time.

“I would be lying to you if I sat here and said I didn’t want to return home. When I say home, I’m not talking about Dallas; I’m talking about New York, man. So I would love to be back with the Jets and obviously finish it the right way. Man, that would be a dream come true just to patch up that relationship and kind of make it work,” Adams told The Jets Lounge in 2025.

Now with Raider Nation, Adams has posted 30 solo tackles, 15 assists, and 1.0 sack in 17 games.

Ultimately, his story reflects more than stats. It shows how a broken situation can follow a player long after the final snap.