Getty Jamal Adams (right) high fives Quandre Diggs (left).
The Seattle Seahawks ensured that a key playmaker will be on the field in 2021 by signing Jamal Adams to a four-year, $72 million deal. The three-time Pro Bowl safety then turned his attention to a teammate, Quandre Diggs. He advocated for his fellow safety to land an extension of his own.
Adams met with media members on Tuesday, Aug. 17, during a press conference after a practice session. He primarily discussed his contract and getting back to work with the Seahawks defense but also took time to talk about Diggs and whether the team will give him an extension in the near future.
“Oh, absolutely,” Adams said during a press conference. “He deserves it. He deserves it, man, and hopefully, we can get that done. I’m not the [general manager], so I don’t know when. His time is going to come, and they are going to do right by him.”
Diggs Will Become a Free Agent After 2021
GettyQuandre Diggs celebrates after an interception against the Eagles.
Diggs is entering the final year of his current contract and will make $5.95 million in base salary. This salary is part of the three-year, $18.6 million deal that he signed in 2018. The Seahawks acquired this contract as part of the 2019 trade that brought Diggs to the Pacific Northwest.
According to Michael-Shawn Dugar of “The Athletic,” Diggs seeks a new deal that will keep him in the building for the foreseeable future. He is fresh off a season in which he posted a career-high five interceptions and registered the second-most combined tackles (64) of his NFL career. This performance resulted in Diggs heading to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career.
While he wants a new deal, Diggs did not use the prospect of free agency as a reason to hold out. He showed up to minicamp and participated in all of the drills. He then showed up to training camp and continued to make plays during the practice sessions.
The Seahawks Need the Safety Tandem in a Difficult Division
Locking up Diggs and Adams will help the Seahawks prepare for the difficult task ahead. The team is on a mission to defend the 12-4 record and NFC West crown, but the other three teams in the division will not make it easy.
The Rams traded Jared Goff to the Lions in exchange for Matthew Stafford and a potential boost to the passing attack. The 49ers, on the other hand, drafted Trey Lance as the future franchise quarterback. The former North Dakota State quarterback may not start any games during the 2021 season, but the Seahawks will have to face off with him at some point.
Finally, the Cardinals have Kyler Murray entering his third full-time season as the starter. The former first-overall pick will continue to build chemistry with DeAndre Hopkins while simultaneously trying to connect with newcomer AJ Green.
Adams and Diggs will each play a significant role in limiting these three NFC West teams, albeit in different ways. The newly wealthy Adams will make an impact around the line of scrimmage and try to top his career mark of 9.5 sacks from the 2020 season. Diggs, on the other hand, will be more of a last line of defense and will focus on intercepting or breaking up passes to the standout receivers.
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