Much of the offseason in Seattle will be dominated by what the team decides to do with quarterback Russell Wilson. On the defensive side of the ball, though, another key decision will need to be made regarding free safety Quandre Diggs. According to John Boyle of Seahawks.com, a reunion is the goal for both sides. 

[Related: Seahawks Restructure Quandre Diggs’ Deal]

Diggs has been a standout on an otherwise underwhelming Seattle defense since his midseason arrival in 2019. There have been offseason issues as recent as this past September regarding his contract status – namely, the lack of a long-term extension to the three-year, $18.6MM deal he was on when he was traded from Detroit. He did play the full season in each of 2020 and 2021, however, partly due to a compromise reached in the lead-in to this campaign.

In his two full seasons in Seattle, Diggs has established himself as one of the best playmaking safeties in the league. The former sixth-round pick recorded five interceptions in both years, as well as a combined 158 tackles and 17 pass breakups. The 10 interceptions are tied for the NFL lead during that span, and earned him his first two Pro Bowl selections. That production will garner plenty of suitors on the open market, if he reaches it for the first time in March.

The 29-year-old said there’s “no question” he wants to remain a Seahawk. “If we can make it work and it works out for both sides, and I feel fairly compensated knowing that I’m a two-time Pro-Bowler, [who received] All-Pro votes, and one of the best, if not the best free safety in the NFL – I have to be compensated as well, and I feel like I did everything the right way to be compensated as well. If it works out and they say they want to do it, let’s get it done“.

Head coach Pete Carrol has publicly expressed an interest in keeping Diggs, who suffered a broken leg in the team’s season finale. However, Seattle already signed Jamal Adams to a four-year, $70MM deal in August. Deciding to keep Diggs, then, would very likely give the Seahawks the league’s most expensive safety tandem. As The Seattle Times’ Adam Jude notes, their only other safeties under contract for next year are Ugo Amadi and Marquise Blair, both of whom are headed into the final year of the rookie deals.

If Diggs does hit the open market, he would join a free agent class that is also scheduled to include the likes of Tyrann Mathieu, Jessie Bates and Marcus Maye.

The Seahawks have revised Quandre Diggs’ contract (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Now, the safety will have $100K in per game roster bonuses converted into salary with $5.05MM of his salary switched to a signing bonus. 

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Diggs refused to practice with the team for a short while in an effort to secure a new contract. He likely didn’t get everything he wanted here, but it was enough to bring him back to the fold along with standout tackle Duane Brown. Diggs’ new deal will now include a void year for salary cap purposes. Meanwhile, the safety will also get additional injury protection in his platform year.

Diggs is entering his platform year, and we heard back in July that the 28-year-old DB was seeking a new deal. No reports on negotiations between the two sides have surfaced, and Henderson says its unclear if the Seahawks want to give Diggs a new contract at this point. The club is taking a similar stance with respect to Brown, though the ‘Hawks are now said to be exploring some sort of compromise that allows Brown to increase his 2021 compensation without adding years onto his existing deal.

Diggs, 28, came to the Seattle in a pre-deadline deal with the Detroit in 2019. He quickly proved his worth, collecting three interceptions in five games that year. Last year, he enjoyed perfect attendance with five INTs and 64 tackles en route to his ever career Pro Bowl nod. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus assigned him a middling 63.1 overall grade, good for 52nd out of 94 qualified players.

Even after the revision, Diggs is still playing on a $6.2MM AAV deal. That puts him just 19th among all safeties, but he could double that figure with a strong showing this year.

Sep. 5: Diggs may not be holding in after all. A source tells Adam Jude of the Seattle Times that Diggs is merely staying away from the practice field as he works to finalize an insurance policy to protect him in case he should suffer an injury this year. Diggs himself has said that he will be on the field for the Seahawks’ regular season opener next week, if not sooner.

“As soon as this little business thing that I gotta do, as soon as it’s done — signed, sealed, delivered — I’ll be back at practice,” Diggs said. “But, I mean, I wouldn’t call it a ‘hold in.’ I would say I’m just getting some things cleared up and I’ll be back with my teammates pretty soon.”

Aug. 29: The Seahawks and safety Jamal Adams finally agreed to a long-term extension earlier this month, clearing one major item off of Seattle’s agenda. The team is still in a holding pattern with left tackle Duane Brown, and now Adams’ running mate at safety, Quandre Diggs, is staging a hold-in of his own, as Brady Henderson of ESPN.com observes.

Diggs is entering his platform year, and we heard back in July that the 28-year-old DB was seeking a new deal. No reports on negotiations between the two sides have surfaced, and Henderson says its unclear if the Seahawks want to give Diggs a new contract at this point. The club is taking a similar stance with respect to Brown, though the ‘Hawks are now said to be exploring some sort of compromise that allows Brown to increase his 2021 compensation without adding years onto his existing deal.

Diggs, who held himself out of practice this week, was acquired by Seattle in a pre-deadline deal with the Lions in 2019, and he has been well worth the fifth-round choice that the Seahawks sent back to Detroit. He played in just five regular season contests for the ‘Hawks in 2019, though he did pick up three interceptions in that span. Last year, he enjoyed perfect attendance, racking up five picks and 64 total tackles en route to his first career Pro Bowl bid. Pro Football Focus assigned him a middling 63.1 overall grade, good for 52nd out of 94 qualified players, but his on-field impact belies that ranking.

When it consummated the trade, Seattle picked up the three-year, $18.6MM contract that Diggs had previously signed with the Lions. The $6.2MM AAV on that deal is now the 19th-highest figure in the safety market. While he will certainly not eclipse, or even get close to, Adams’ $17.5MM AAV, a $12MM/year contract seems to be a reasonable ask.

Head coach Pete Carroll addressed the matter on Friday, saying, “I think [Diggs is] making a bit of a statement now, but I have nothing for you to update. He deserves to do that.” Last night, Carroll was non-committal when asked if he thought Diggs would return to practice this week (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times).

Diggs has taken to Twitter to express his thoughts, saying, “Can’t deny me what I deserve,” and Adams spoke out in support of his teammate. “He deserves it and hopefully we can get that done,” Adams said. “I’m not the GM, so I don’t know when. His time is going to come. They’re going to do right by him.”

As it stands, Diggs is due to earn $5.95MM in base salary in 2021. He had a $100K offseason workout bonus and can earn another $100K in per-game roster bonuses.

Jamal Adams isn’t the only Seahawks player seeking a lucrative extension. Free safety Quandre Diggs also wants a fresh contract, as Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic writes.

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Diggs reported to minicamp and participated in all of the assigned drills, but he wants a new pact to reflect his performance. As it stands, he’s set to enter the final year of the three-year, $18.6MM deal he originally signed with Detroit. Diggs is fresh off of his first ever Pro Bowl selection — last year, he notched five interceptions and ten passes defensed, solidifying himself as one of the stronger safeties in the NFL. Meanwhile, his salary ranks 19th at the position.

The Seahawks don’t have much of a contingency plan if Diggs leaves, and they haven’t been able to draft well for the safety position outside of Earl Thomas in 2010. The Seahawks certainly want to keep Diggs, but a new deal for the 28-year-old would probably cost north of $12MM. If they don’t lock Diggs up now, they’ll run the risk of a much higher price tag. The Seahawks should also be motivated to get a deal done before other safeties sign their next deals. Marcus Maye (Jets) and Marcus Williams (Saints) are both gunning for extensions to replace their one-year, $10.6MM tag for 2021.

Still, the Seahawks will have to rank and balance their priorities. In addition to Adams and Diggs, they could also explore an extension for veteran lineman Duane Brown.