NFL

Adam Gase: Removing Jamal Adams from game wasn’t a benching

Jamal Adams wasn’t benched. He was being protected — from himself — after committing consecutive penalties. That’s according to Jets coach Adam Gase.

“I thought he was getting fired up pretty good. I said, ‘Hey, we need to be careful here.’ I was worried something bad was going to happen. We needed him for the next week,” Gase said before Wednesday’s practice.

“I didn’t look at that as a benching. It was: Let’s calm him down. He’s a competitor, he’s intense. He’s all-in. I 100 percent understand why he was not happy.”

Adams was removed late from the 23-3 loss to the Browns on Monday night after a pair of penalties. During an interview with WFAN on Tuesday, Adams said he had been benched.

“I tried to anticipate a play, which I anticipated wrong and I was benched,” Adams said. “And, you know, hey, it happens. I’ve got to continue to do my job to the best of my ability and help lead the guys around me.”

Gase said it was a miscommunication that was resolved.

There was some concern after Adams removed the Jets from his Twitter and Instagram bios, but he downplayed that Tuesday.

“It’s social media. It’s outside noise. I’m not focused on that,” Adams said.

Gase wasn’t either. He doesn’t partake in social media.

“Good thing I don’t pay attention to that, so I don’t care,” he joked.

When asked why he decided to pull Adams, one of his leaders, rather than let it play out, Gase said he’s seen situations like that blow up. He didn’t want to regret a non-decision.

“I thought that was the right move for us at the moment, right or wrong,” he said. “There was no hidden behind it. That was my gut reaction.”