The Seattle Seahawks updated their defense after hiring new head coach Mike MacDonald. In March, the Seahawks released safety Quandre Diggs to free up valuable salary space.
Diggs still has one year remaining on his $39 million contract. This season, he was owed $10.4 million in salary and a $21.2 million cap hit. By releasing the 31-year-old veteran, the Seahawks saved $11 million in cap room for 2024.
Diggs is still a free agent after two months. However, Randy Mueller of The Athletic expects he will eventually return to his former team, the Detroit Lions.
“He hasn’t missed a game since 2019, and he’s played at least 97% of the defensive snaps in three consecutive seasons, despite suffering a broken leg in the 2021 finale,” Mueller stated. “He had a career-high 95 tackles last season, his first-step quickness is still a plus, and his skills for reading and breaking down things in the post make him a strong match in zone coverage for most teams.
“I genuinely believe a return to the Motor City, where he spent his first five years in the league, would make sense. The Lions have overhauled their secondary, particularly at cornerback, and a seasoned communicator could be just what the doctor ordered to pull the back end together.
Quandre Diggs is a really interesting free agent. I didn't see any drop in athletic ability last season, but the landmarks in Seattle's defense were just… odd at times. There are times when your "off year" isn't all your responsibility. @qdiggs6 pic.twitter.com/BKy1lXFZJ4
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 8, 2024
“Diggs made a decent living in Seattle, so he might be prepared to take a discount to join a contender, and his previous links to the Lions could be beneficial. He would fit right into their new culture under Dan Campbell.”
Over the last four-plus seasons, the three-time Pro Bowler has started 72 games for Seattle. In 2023, he made 95 total tackles, five passes defensed, and one interception. During his time in Seattle, he recorded 18 interceptions.
Seahawks News: Quandre Diggs Blasts the Lions After His Unexpected Trade to Seattle
The Lions took Diggs in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL draft. Under then-head coach Jim Caldwell, the Texas native began the 2016 NFL season as the Lions’ top nickelback. However, after Matt Patricia took over in 2018, relations between Diggs and Detroit worsened.
Diggs’ teammates were “shocked” when the Lions unexpectedly traded their captain to Seattle in October 2019. The veteran told reporters that he was “blindsided” by the decision. “I think it was more of just a control thing,” Diggs told the Detroit Free Press. “They want to control the locker room.” Control the locker room, and control the voices within it.
“I’m a vocal guy,” Diggs explained. “I am quite competitive. I loathe losing. I went and put my body on the line every week with hella therapy and all these other things, and it didn’t work out.”
“I’ve joined a new organization that values the players, your personalities, and who you are as individuals. “I’m just happy with my situation,” he stated after landing in Seattle. “Those folks do what they believe is best for the organization. I don’t fault them, but at the end of the day, I’m content where I am.”
Former Lions player tried to get Quandre Diggs back to Detroit on social media.
Following Diggs’ release by the Seahawks, former Lions tackle Damon “Snacks” Harrison messaged the safety via X. “Nino to Detroit is the only news that we need right now….tell him bring his old secondary buddy with him too,” Harrison wrote.
Diggs retweeted the remark, writing, “👀 look at you, bruh. I’m at home, minding my own business.”
