Quandre Diggs Blessed to Return to Seahawks, Excited to Play in 'Familiar' Defensive Scheme
RENTON, WA - Four to six months. Quandre Diggs has kept that timetable etched in his memory while grinding through a strenuous recovery process working back from the first significant injury of his NFL career.
Back in January, only mere minutes away from becoming an unrestricted free agent for the first time, Diggs suffered a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle in the fourth quarter of the Seahawks' 38-34 season-ending win over the Cardinals. Once it became clear the Pro Bowl safety had suffered a gruesome injury, teammates and coaches were overwhelmed by emotion on the field as one of their most respected leaders was carted off the field.
Understanding the severity of the injury, while the timing couldn't have been worse with free agency right around the corner, Diggs thought about more than just football in the moment.
"I think for me, it's just like not being able to do the things that I wanted to do with my daughter," Diggs said following Tuesday's minicamp session. "And in the offseason I like to take her to the park, we go swimming and we do all those different things. So for me, it was that it was the second year in a row, I don't get to play the Pro Bowl. And seven or eight minutes [left] in the game, you break your leg when you think about the offseason. So it was just a lot of different thoughts."
Luckily, Diggs didn't suffer any ligament damage or an open fracture, receiving the best prognosis possible given the circumstances. With receiver Tyler Lockett by his side, he flew to Green Bay and foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson operated on him the following day, officially starting the clock on his rehabilitation window.
Now 21 weeks removed from his procedure with a new three-year, $40 million contract in hand, Diggs took the next step towards returning to the field by participating in walkthroughs on Tuesday and looks to be right on schedule with training camp less than two months away. Despite everything he has endured over the past five-plus months, he's grateful to be healthy again and remain a member of the Seahawks.
“It's a blessing. Everything happens for a reason and it sucks that it happened, but it gives you a newfound respect for the game and it also, kind of tells you not to take things for granted," Diggs reflected. "Not saying that I was, but, just sometimes God sets you back for a reason and my reason could have been just to be able to come back here. Maybe if I was healthy, I wouldn't, so who knows? But in the grand scheme of things, I'm blessed, and I'm happy to be back here."
Prior to going down at State Farm Stadium, which has been a house of horrors for Seattle over the years with numerous star players suffering injuries in the desert, Diggs enjoyed arguably the finest year of his career in 2021. Along with leading the team with five interceptions and continuing to take away post and seam routes patrolling center field, he posted a career-high 94 tackles, earning his second straight Pro Bowl nod.
But while Diggs obviously appreciates being selected to the Pro Bowl roster after being named an alternate twice earlier in his career, the uber-competitive safety admitted he has felt slighted in All-Pro voting in recent years. Last year, he received only three votes, finishing sixth in balloting. In 2020, after picking off five passes for a 12-4 Seahawks squad, he didn't receive a single vote.
Confident in his abilities and always eager to silence critics, Diggs believes this will be the year he breaks through and finally earns All-Pro distinction as one of the game's best safeties.
"I got bigger plans. I feel like I keep getting disrespected in All-Pro voting. So, I'm going to go out there and do it this year," Diggs declared.
Aiding his efforts in pursuit of an elusive All-Pro selection, Diggs will be playing in a familiar 3-4 defensive scheme under new defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt and associate head coach Sean Desai that puts him back in his element and allows him to show off his all-around game playing all over the field in different roles.
During his first three seasons in the league with the Lions, Diggs played for defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, who ran the same exact defense. When asked about the strengths of the system, he cited multiplicity, though he said that doesn't necessarily mean the Seahawks will be disguising everything pre-snap. They will be able to run a plethora of coverages and make them look alike.
According to Diggs, both he and Jamal Adams, who also played in a similar defense dating back to his time at LSU at the college level, will benefit most from how Seattle deploys its safeties interchangeably. Whether out of two-high shell or one-high shell looks, opponents will have a tougher time figuring out which safety is in the box and which one isn't, allowing them to mix and match different types of man and zone coverages and keep quarterbacks on their heels.
"You get to do a little bit more," Diggs explained. "I kind of get back to my roots and being able to play in the box, play it up high, you know, play quarters, play all the different stuff. So I think it's real dope, and continues to show that I'm versatile and I can do those different things.”
Now entering his eighth NFL season as a former sixth-round pick, Diggs has played for four different defensive coordinators in his career. So while Hurtt's defense features different lingo and terminology, as one of the elder statesmen on Seattle's roster, he's been around the block long enough that he's played everything from a coverage standpoint and isn't concerned about picking up a new defense.
Once he's back 100 percent healthy, considering his prior experience in the scheme, he expects to hit the ground running and return to his ball-hawking ways, That's great news for the Seahawks, who will be leaning more heavily on their defense after trading away Russell Wilson in March and will be looking to him to produce another outstanding season in the secondary.
For now, with three weeks left until he reaches the tail end of the 4-6 month recovery timeline given by his surgeon, Diggs is soaking up the chance to reunite with his teammates and coaches. Thankful for the opportunity to get back on the field, he isn't taking anything for granted and looks forward to doing everything in his power to help his team win games this fall.
“It felt good. It's always good to be around the guys. It's a blessing to be able to be back out here and playing so. Five months? I'm feeling good. So, I mean, we'll see, we'll see. Enjoying it.”
