NASHVILLE — After Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams, and Will Dissly were let go on March 5, Seahawks general manager John Schneider mentioned that the possibility of any of those players returning had not been ruled out.
However, Diggs feels that not only was the door closed on that day, but it was also locked with the combination changed and the key discarded.
Diggs is now with the Titans, having signed with Tennessee last week, and participated fully in the recent joint practices between Seattle and the Titans.
When asked after Thursday’s practice if there had ever been a possibility of returning to Seattle, Diggs responded with a firm “No.” He elaborated, “Nah, nah, nah. I don’t think that was ever in the cards. When you fire me, that’s it, you know what I mean? You can say whatever you want about a return, but I’m not going back.”
There were questions about why Diggs remained unsigned for so long after his release from Seattle. Early on, it seemed likely that Adams might join the Titans, potentially followed by Diggs, given their close relationship in Seattle.
Adams was attracted to Tennessee because of the presence of new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, who had previously been the defensive backs coach with the Jets during Adams’ time there. Although Adams considered other offers and the Seahawks were rumored to be interested in a minimum deal as a linebacker, he ultimately signed with the Titans in early July.
Diggs suggested that once Adams signed with Tennessee, it was clear that Diggs would likely follow. Tennessee has significantly revamped its secondary.
“I had a feeling it was going to be here a couple months ago,” said Diggs, who was traded to Seattle from Detroit in 2019 and served as a defensive co-captain for the past two years.
At 31, Diggs was set to earn $10.4 million in 2024 from Seattle. His release was aimed at saving money and cap space, while giving the safety roles to younger and less expensive players like Julian Love and Rayshawn Jenkins.
Diggs signed a one-year deal with the Titans worth up to $3 million, a significant reduction from what he would have earned in Seattle.
Similarly, Adams’ release saved Seattle only $6.1 million against the cap this year but avoided paying him the full $16.5 million in 2024. Adams signed a one-year deal with the Titans for the veteran minimum of $1.125 million.
Despite the lower salary, Adams still earned $50.03 million during his four years with Seattle. Recently, Adams has been limited in practice due to general soreness, according to Titans head coach Brian Callahan. Adams participated sparingly in the joint practices, mostly lining up as a linebacker, which the Seahawks had planned for him if he had returned.
Diggs believes Adams will prove himself in Tennessee and might regain the form he showed during his first season in Seattle when he set an NFL record with 9.5 sacks by a defensive back.
“Man, I’m telling you, it’s different,” Diggs said about Adams’ adjustment to Tennessee. “He’s back to who he is. He’s having fun. He’s with Dennard again, and I think this is the happiest I’ve seen him probably since 2020 when we blitzed and just let him be himself—close to the line, blitzing, making tackles for loss, sacks, all that. Dennard knows how to use him. It’s dope to see.”
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