Jamal Adams insists he would shake the hand of Adam Gase if the New York Jets coach approached him on Sunday - even if their parting of ways was less than harmonious.
Before leaving the Jets in July to join the Seattle Seahawks, Adams told the New York Daily News that Gase was not the "right leader" for the team.
The 25-year-old safety got his wish of a fresh start and feels in a good place with the Seahawks (8-4) ahead of their clash with the 0-12 Jets.
He headed to Seattle in an exchange that involved Bradley McDougald, and Adams is making a significant impact already on the west coast.
He has had 7.5 sacks in eight games this season, just short of Adrian Wilson's single-season record of 8.0 for a defensive back.
Adams' view of Gase does not appear to have changed much, but he suggests he bears no animosity towards the Jets coach.
"I don't hate Adam Gase. I have no problem with Adam Gase," Adams said. "I just feel he didn't handle certain situations well as a head coach.
"Everybody's entitled to an opinion, and that's the world we live in. But like I said, I have no hate towards Adam.
"If Adam comes up to me and shakes my hand, I'ma shake his hand, there's no love lost. Listen, I'm at peace, man, and I'm a different guy, I'm really a different guy. I'm still gonna talk my noise but I'm at peace with it, man."
The most important thing is you must put everybody on notice that you’re here and you are for real. #Prez pic.twitter.com/O7dcXz5KAB
— Jamal Adams (@Prez) December 11, 2020
Gregg Williams, who was the Jets' defensive coordinator until he was sacked this week, suggested when Adams left the team that he might become bored in the Seahawks' set-up.
Yet according to Adams, he feels right at home within the Seattle system, convinced his move was the right one from a personal and professional standpoint.
"The guys that make the decisions over there, they just didn't value me like Seattle does and I appreciate that," Adams said.
He spoke to US media ahead of the arrival of the Jets in Seattle and said there were "no hard feelings" towards his old bosses but they held "different views".
A religious man, Adams even said he prays that the Jets "figure it out" and eventually find a winning team for the sake of the success-starved fans.
"I'm just happy to be where I am and I have an organisation that believes in me, believes I can get it done and thinks highly of me. That's all I can ask for. It's just all about respect for me," Adams said.
"I'm not trying to hype myself up. I'm not trying to go out there and prove that I can make this play and make that play. I was with them for three years. They've seen me, they've seen what I can do. I have a lot of respect for a lot of the guys over there.
"They're going to be talking noise. I'm going to be talking noise. It's going to be a fun battle."