Adrian Amos: The Most Underrated Star on the Packers

In 2019 the Green Bay Packers went on a free agent spending spree the likes of which hadn’t been seen in many years, if ever. Possibly the most questioned contract was that for former Chicago Bears Safety Adrian Amos. A 4-year, $36 million contract was deemed much too high a price by many, especially when it was announced the Bears were replacing Amos with former Packer Ha Ha Clinton-Dix for just $3 million for one year. Boy were they wrong.

Bears fans (and maybe the Bears themselves) saw only what the media told them, that Clinton-Dix was a better safety because he had more than double the interceptions Amos had. What they didn’t see is what every true Packer fan knew. Clinton-Dix made some splash plays but was often out of position and his tackling was average on a very, very good day. 3 years later, Clinton-Dix has bounced around playing just briefly in two games this past year with Las Vegas while Amos is still a cornerstone of the Packers secondary.

It’s often said that the best ability is availability, and no one has been more available than Adrian Amos. Since he was acquired in 2019, Amos has played in every single game with a snap percentage of 98.3%. Not a single player on the Packers save Aaron Rodgers has played even close to those numbers. As Green Bay have struggled with injuries over the years, Amos has been a constant force.

Being available is vital, but Amos is so, so much more than that. According to PFF, Amos is the 2nd best rated coverage safety since 2017 and was the best at the position in 2020. As a tackler he has only gotten better. In 2021 he was ranked as the 6th most efficient tackler with missed tackle rate of only 6.1%.

Safety is sometimes a thankless position. As mentioned earlier, the splash plays are what gets everyone attention. Jamaal Adams gets a lot of attention due to his pass rush value and players like Kevin Byard and Jordan Poyer get the praise for their interceptions. These are great players, but a safety does not need to make these plays to be an elite player.

He may not get talked about much on ESPN or listed among the greats but, Adrian Amos is truly an elite safety and a leader on this defense. He is ever-reliable to be where he is supposed to be on the field and also helps our younger defensive backs grow into their role. He allows players like Darnell Savage to roam the field and have the opportunity to make the big plays because they know that Amos has their back.

Then we win.

PJ is an Ohio native who was fortunate enough to be born into the green and gold family through his father who grew up in Green Bay. He now resides in NYC where he is an avid fan and fantasy football player. You can follow him on twitter at @PJsPack_.

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