Adrian Amos Bio
Adrian Gerald Amos Jr. (born April 29, 1993) is an American professional football safety who has played in the National Football League since 2015. Standing 6 feet tall and weighing around 215 pounds, he built his reputation as a dependable defensive back through stints with the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and San Francisco 49ers. A former Penn State Nittany Lions standout, Amos earned recognition as a member of the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team in 2015.
Early Life and Background
Adrian Gerald Amos Jr. was born on April 29, 1993, in Baltimore, Maryland. He grew up in the Baltimore area and attended Calvert Hall College High School in nearby Towson, Maryland. At Calvert Hall, Amos played multiple positions in the secondary and drew attention from college recruiters for his combination of size, range, and football instincts.
Coming out of high school, Amos was rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com. He originally committed to play college football at the University of Connecticut before ultimately choosing Penn State, where he would develop into one of the top safety prospects in the country. His early training in the Baltimore-area football scene helped prepare him for the physical demands of the Big Ten conference.
Path to Professional Football
Amos enrolled at Penn State in 2011 and spent four seasons with the Nittany Lions. As a true freshman, he played in all 13 games as a cornerback and on special teams, recording seven tackles and one interception. Over the next three seasons, he transitioned fully to safety while continuing to contribute in coverage and run support, finishing his senior year in 2014 with 42 tackles and three interceptions.
Following his senior season, Amos accepted an invitation to the 2015 Senior Bowl, where he recorded two solo tackles to help the North defeat the South 34–13. He then participated in the NFL Combine, running a 4.39-second 40-yard dash and posting a 4.03-second three-cone drill that ranked near the top among safeties. On March 19, 2015, Amos also worked out at Penn State’s pro day, lowering his 40-yard dash time to 4.37 seconds, and held private visits with the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens before the draft.
Adrian Amos Career
Early Career (2011–2014)
During his time at Penn State, Amos started 49 games across his final three seasons and steadily built his résumé as a coverage safety. As a sophomore in 2012, he started all 12 games and recorded 44 tackles and two interceptions. As a junior in 2013, he split time between cornerback and safety while adding 2.5 sacks and an interception to his stat line.
His senior campaign in 2014 cemented his status as a draftable prospect. Starting all 13 games, Amos posted 42 tackles and three interceptions, and his pre-draft workout numbers convinced multiple NFL teams that he was ready to contribute right away at the next level.
Chicago Bears Breakthrough (2015–2018)
The Chicago Bears selected Amos in the fifth round (142nd overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft. On May 5, 2015, the Bears signed him to a four-year, $2.51 million contract that included a signing bonus of $232,280. He quickly earned the starting free safety role in training camp and began the season alongside strong safety Antrel Rolle.
Amos made his professional regular-season debut against the Green Bay Packers and recorded five solo tackles in a 31–23 loss. He posted a season-high nine combined tackles in a Thursday Night Football victory over the Packers and finished his rookie year with 67 combined tackles, two pass deflections, and a sack in 16 starts. That performance earned him a spot on the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team alongside defensive lineman Eddie Goldman. On April 26, 2016, Amos and tight end Zach Miller received the Brian Piccolo Award.
In 2017, after a brief stint as a backup, Amos became the starting strong safety opposite Eddie Jackson following an injury to Quintin Demps. On October 15, 2017, he intercepted Joe Flacco and returned it 90 yards for his first career touchdown in a 27–24 overtime win over the Baltimore Ravens. In 2018, under new head coach Matt Nagy, Amos started all 16 games and recorded 73 combined tackles, nine passes defended, two interceptions, two sacks, and one fumble recovery.
Green Bay Packers Era (2019–2022)
On March 14, 2019, Amos signed a four-year, $37 million contract with the Green Bay Packers. He made an immediate impact in his debut against his former team, intercepting Mitchell Trubisky in the end zone to seal a 10–3 Packers win over the Bears. During the 2019 season, he posted one sack, 77 total tackles, two interceptions, and eight passes defended.
Amos continued as a full-time starter for the Packers through the 2022 season. He tallied 83 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, and nine passes defended in 2020; 93 total tackles, two interceptions, and eight passes defended in 2021; and a team-leading 102 total tackles, one sack, one interception, and five passes defended in 2022. His steady tackling and coverage helped anchor the Green Bay secondary throughout his four-year contract.
New York Jets, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and San Francisco 49ers (2023–2024)
On June 13, 2023, Amos signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the New York Jets, but was released on December 2, 2023, at his request. Three days later, on December 5, 2023, he was signed by the Houston Texans, where he appeared in five games and recorded five combined tackles with one fumble recovery.
On August 6, 2024, Amos signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars but was released on August 27, 2024. He then joined the San Francisco 49ers practice squad on October 15, 2024, before being released on November 11, 2024.
Driving Style and Strengths
Amos is known for his physical tackling, dependable coverage, and football intelligence. His ability to play both free safety and strong safety has allowed defensive coordinators to deploy him in a variety of schemes, and he has consistently graded well among NFL safeties in run support and pass defense.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the highlights of Amos’s career are his 90-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in 2017, his end-zone interception of Mitchell Trubisky to seal a Packers win over the Bears in 2019, and his selection to the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team in 2015.
Adrian Amos Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Adrian Gerald Amos Jr. maintains close ties to his Baltimore roots, having grown up in the city and attended Calvert Hall College High School in nearby Towson, Maryland. He is a Christian, and outside of football he founded The I’m Still Here Foundation, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and supporting underserved youth.
2025 Season Outlook
Following his release from the San Francisco 49ers practice squad in November 2024, Amos entered the 2025 off season as an unsigned veteran free agent. With more than a decade of NFL experience and a proven track record as a starting safety, he remains an attractive option for teams seeking experienced depth in the secondary.
Should he sign with a team for the 2025 season, Amos would likely compete for a starting or rotational role in a defensive backfield. His familiarity with multiple schemes from his time in Chicago, Green Bay, and Houston would give a new coaching staff flexibility in how they deploy him.