DL Montravius Adams took circuitous route to Steelers, is glad for it

It would be easy, looking back at the first five seasons of Montravius Adams’ NFL career, to assume 2021 was his toughest year professionally.

After all, Adams was let go by one team and released by two others.

Adams, a veteran defensive tackle, doesn’t see it that way, though.

“Honestly, not really, no, I don’t feel as if 2021 was (a career low point),” Adams said during the final week of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ recently completed 2022 season, “because I feel like that the last year, year-and-a-half of my career was needed.”

Suffering a foot injury late in 2020, being allowed to walk in free agency by the Green Bay Packers a few months later, getting signed and released over a span of 5½ months with the New England Patriots in 2021, getting picked up and released off the active roster of the New Orleans Saints soon thereafter…

All of it … was needed by Adams?

“If I am being honest, leaving Green Bay, at the end of that year, mentally, I don’t know if I would have been able to play to the capacity that I am now,” Adams explained earlier this month. “And not even physically — even though I was coming off injury — just mentally. Mentally, I wasn’t there. So that’s why I do appreciate my journey from the Patriots to New Orleans to here.

“Definitely, no knocks.”

And why would Adams knock how the twists and turns of his career brought him to Pittsburgh? During his sixth NFL season in 2022, he played more defensive snaps than he’s ever played and made more starts than he has in his previous five seasons combined.

Adams — officially — became a first-teamer for the first time this past season, too (albeit at a low-profile position). Adams was promoted to the Steelers’ No. 1 nose tackle spot during Week 4, supplanting veteran Tyson Alualu.

Montravius Adams is happy to be an official “starter” - but he’s no savior! pic.twitter.com/0T4kvx4KIt

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) September 28, 2022

“Montravius is a guy who’s come in and come to work every day,” veteran defensive lineman Chris Wormley said, “and loves being part of the group, and he’s done a great job for us.”

The 6-foot-3, 304-pound Adams appeared in all 17 of the Steelers’ games, making nine starts. He had career highs in total tackles (26) and solo tackles (12). According to Pro Football Focus, 44% of his 281 defensive snaps were at nose tackle, with all but five of the rest as a defensive tackle in what was mostly a nickel package.

Part of why Adams believes he’s been blessed to end up in Pittsburgh in the Steelers’ 3-4 scheme and under defensive line coach Karl Dunbar is that they found him a home at nose tackle. Consider that Adams, according to PFF, had played just 33 snaps at nose tackle over his first 4½ NFL seasons prior to joining the Steelers.

“I hadn’t really played nose since college,” Adams said. “So that just tells you how well the people that are looking for players upstairs (in the Steelers front office), they know what they are looking for.

“I appreciate that. I don’t know what they saw, but I appreciate that and that’s why I am here and I am glad to be here.”

“It is definitely a place I would like to stay,” #Steelers’ Montravius Adams said, “honestly, to finish my career, no matter how long that may be.”https://t.co/Getgc4dOas

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) January 30, 2022

Adams was a blue-chip recruit coming out of high school in Georgia, ultimately choosing Auburn over a who’s who of the country’s top programs — Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Florida, Florida State, Oklahoma, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame and more.

It took a four-year college career and six years in the NFL, Adams said, for him to feel as comfortable as he does now.

“I feel like I made a big leap with Coach Dunbar because as you learn and grow and build with him as a D-linemen, sometimes you get a freedom you don’t get in other places with other coaches,” said Adams, who’s signed through 2023 under the terms of a two-year deal inked last March. “It’s a trust factor, but he enforces it and lets you know he trusts you. Sometimes a coach can ask you why you aren’t doing this, but he’s letting you know, ‘I trust you; I want you to do this.’ And I have appreciated it. It definitely has helped me as a player.”

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