A former Detroit Lions fan favorite had the opportunity to re-join the franchise during the 2025 season, but he chose to return to another team he once played for – one where he saw his greatest career success.
In a conversation with Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press as part of Super Bowl LX media week, Seattle Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs shared that there was an opportunity for him to return to the Lions after the Tennessee Titans released him last November.
“I had a chance. I had a chance this year,” Diggs told Birkett. It just didn’t work out that way.”
At the time of Diggs’ release in Tennessee, the Lions were down one of their best ballhawks in Kerby Joseph, who would eventually land on the injured reserve list as a knee injury hindered his participation for a bulk of the season. Soon after, Thomas Harper, who started in Joseph’s place, would land in concussion protocol, and Brian Branch would suffer a season-ending Achilles injury in a Week 14 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.
With their secondary thin most of the season, the Lions had to pivot, adding players such as Jammie Robinson, Damontae Kazee, and Jalen Mills at various points. A Diggs return certainly could have been a valuable addition for the Lions, but the veteran safety said the Seahawks offered him “an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
At the time Diggs rejoined the Seahawks, they were 8-3 and appeared to be on the verge of a series of wins, pegged as a favorite to come out of the NFC. As for the Lions, they were 7-4 during that period, with many questions surrounding the team’s future and their playoff hopes.
Turns out Diggs made the correct decision. The Lions finished 9-8 and missed the postseason, while the Seahawks went 14-3 and punched their ticket to Super Bowl LX after defeating the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship.
While Diggs returning to Detroit could have made for a great story if he played meaningful snaps, heading back to Seattle was a logical choice.
In 2019, Diggs and then Lions coach Matt Patricia were not on the same page, resulting in the team trading the safety to the Seahawks, where he would become a three-time Pro Bowler.
Despite his decision to return to Seattle rather than Detroit, Diggs, a sixth-round pick by the Lions in the 2015 draft, still professes his love for the organization and fan base where he began his career.
“Those fans, the organization, I love them,” Diggs said. “I’ve been there numerous times to play, and it’s been nothing but love, nothing but the crowd still cheering for me and enjoying who I am as a person. So I’m forever thankful. I’m forever thankful for the opportunity that I had to go there, and it’ll be a place that I always have a special place in my heart, and I’m sure guys will see me at games when I retire.”