The long wait for Trevon Diggs finally produced an opportunity with the Seattle Seahawks, and head coach Mike Macdonald liked what he saw.
Seattle elevated Diggs from the practice squad for Sunday’s 30-23 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, allowing the former first-team All-Pro to make his Seahawks regular-season debut after spending the opening three weeks on the practice squad.
The team had patiently worked Diggs into its defense since signing him during training camp.
Macdonald indicated afterward that the opportunity was earned.
“Great example of doing everything we ask; he got himself a chance to play,” Macdonald said while discussing Diggs during his media availability. “Thought we covered well today.”
Diggs Earns His Shot After Month-Long Wait
The Seahawks elevated Diggs on Saturday, more than a month after he initially joined the organization. Seattle’s official website noted that the veteran had started 64 of his first 67 NFL games before arriving in the Pacific Northwest.
The unusual arrangement required patience.
Diggs signed with Seattle on Aug. 19 but arrived late enough in the preseason that the organization wanted to give him time to learn Macdonald’s defense and regain his football conditioning. He played three series in the preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs and intercepted a pass, then was released during final cuts before returning on the practice squad.
General manager John Schneider said after roster cutdowns that Diggs was still “getting ramped up,” while the veteran himself acknowledged he needed additional time to become comfortable with the scheme.
The process stretched through September before Seattle finally gave him a regular-season opportunity.
That makes Macdonald’s postgame comments significant. Rather than Diggs receiving an elevation solely because of his reputation, the coach described it as the product of meeting the team’s expectations behind the scenes.
Diggs once signed a five-year, $97 million extension with the Dallas Cowboys and remains one of the most accomplished defensive backs on Seattle’s roster.
His 2021 season included an NFL-high 11 interceptions, 21 passes defensed and first-team All-Pro honors. He followed it with another Pro Bowl selection in 2022. Seattle’s initial announcement of his signing detailed the former second-round pick’s rise before injuries disrupted the following seasons.
Macdonald’s Praise Opens Door for Bigger Seahawks Role
One game may not spell a permanent place on the 53-man roster for Diggs, but how he looks following a bit more action might do it.
Seattle entered the weekend with enough uncertainty in the secondary to make Diggs’ availability useful. Safety Ty Okada was inactive with a hamstring injury, while Julian Love returned after missing Week 3. The Seahawks confirmed before kickoff that Diggs would be active for his regular-season debut.
Diggs also arrived in Seattle openly acknowledging he needed to prove himself again.
When he signed in August, he told Seahawks.com that he wanted an opportunity to compete and play after injuries derailed the momentum from his All-Pro years.
The 28-year-old has now cleared his first regular-season hurdle.
Macdonald’s assessment suggests Diggs handled the responsibilities Seattle gave him and remained assignment-sound within a defense that values communication throughout the secondary.
For a former All-Pro who spent the first month waiting for his number to be called, that is a promising place to start.
Seahawks DB & Former Dallas Cowboys All-Pro Did ‘Everything We Ask’ in Win Over Chargers