Getty Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs.
The Seattle Seahawks will kick off their voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) May 22 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, Washington, but the team will be doing so without two key players, safety Jamal Adams and linebacker Jordyn Brooks.
Both players are still recovering from serious injuries, but according to former Seahawks quarterback Brock Huard, that’s a weak excuse to be a no-show, especially when you’re on a four-year, $70.5 million contract like Adams, an opinion that didn’t sit well with safety Quandre Diggs, who attacked Huard for his “bad take.”
During the May 16 episode on “Brock and Salk,” Huard acknowledged that Adams was working through a “catastrophic injury,” a torn quad suffered in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL Season, but noted that he’s “super frustrated” with the three-time Pro Bowler and his decision not to attend OTAs.
“You want your guys to be there. You want them to compete, and you certainly want your highest-paid players to be a part of that. They’re the frontrunners of that,” Huard said. “And in this case, everyone else is [attending OTAs]. Like on this team, DK [Metcalf] is there with Geno [Smith]. They’re there with Tyler [Lockett]. They’re working! I just can’t grasp being in Florida 3,000 miles away posting your Instagram videos of you on the treadmill. Like, come on, bro. Go be with your team.”
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll announced at the start of rookie minicamp earlier this month that both Adams and Brooks would continue their rehab in Texas, per The Seattle Times‘ Bob Condotta.
While attending OTAs is voluntary for all players, including the healthy ones, Huard said Adams, as a leader, had a duty to attend. “You have five months to be on your own; go be with your team.”
Quandre Diggs Called Out Brock Huard’s Comments & Fans Criticizing Jamal Adams
GettySeahawks safety Quandre Diggs looks on during warmups before a preseason game at Lumen Field on August 18, 2022.
Diggs took issue with Huard ripping on his teammate and called him out on Twitter. Diggs tweeted, “Bad take Brock.. I love you and the show but sticking to your rehab routine is way more important than standing out there for shirts and shorts.”
Diggs earned support from Metcalf. The Seahawks receiver shared Diggs’ message to Huard and wrote, “🗣️ RT.”
This conversation sparked a debate on Twitter as a bulk of fans agreed with Huard. One tweeted, “Nothing but love for Nino but a $17M athlete that can’t continue his rehab routine in the same city as OTAs is Russell Wilson level entitlement,” to which Diggs retweeted and replied, “What’s crazy is nobody said that last year when I rehabbed in Austin the whole time and was voted team captain… His teammates know what he’s doing to get right and we understand! ✊🏾.”
Another fan tweeted, “I’d rather have him stick to his rehab plan so he’s ready to go for the season than take some time off of it to watch OTAs. It’s not like he’s skipping them to go on vacation, let’s be real here,” which earned a “like” by Diggs.
Pete Carroll Says Jamal Adams Wants to Be Ready for Training Camp
Brick by brick! #Prez
Addressing the media ahead of the 2023 NFL draft, Carroll gave a major update on the rehab process for Adams and Brooks, the latter of whom suffered an ACL tear in Week 17 of the 2022 season.
“They’re doing well,” Carroll said. “The progress is being made… They’re very optimistic on their sides, they’re really thinking that they’re going to make it, so we’ll hold a good thought.” As for what “going to make it” meant, Carroll explained, “Making camp. that’s what they’re shooting for. They’re not resigned to the fact that it’s going to take them past that, so they’ve got the right mindset. We’ll see what happens.”
While Carroll is happy with Adams and Brooks’ mindsets, there’s a major difference between what the players think and what the doctors say when it comes to returning to play. There’s a strong chance that Adams, 27, will be ready for camp, but the same can’t be said for Brooks.
The Athletic‘s Michael-Shawn Dugar wrote, “Adams will be approximately 10 months removed from injury when veterans are required to report to camp. Brooks will be only six months removed from surgery. Carroll intentionally framed the source of his optimism around how the players feel and not necessarily any information being provided by doctors. That’s an important distinction.
“Adams passing a physical in July isn’t completely out of the question,” but “Brooks passing a physical six months after ACL surgery would be unprecedented,” Dugar noted. “Schneider said at the league meetings that Brooks’ timeline is closer to the 11 months it took linebacker Jon Rhattigan to recover from his ACL tear.”