Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs says he’s not ‘holding in,’ expects to return to practice soon

RENTON — Quandre Diggs again did not practice with the Seahawks on Tuesday, extending his absence from the field for a second week.

But in meeting with local media after practice, the Pro Bowl free safety said he expects to return to the field soon and plans to play in the Seahawks’ Sept. 12 season opener at Indianapolis.

Diggs is entering the final year of his contract, and it was easy to assume last week that he was “holding in” alongside left tackle Duane Brown in seeking a contract extension from the team.

Diggs has been with the team from the start of training camp, attending meetings and participating some in early training camp practices. Last Friday, coach Pete Carroll said Diggs was “making a bit of a statement” in regards to his contract.

On Tuesday, Diggs said he “wouldn’t necessarily call it a statement,” but was vague in talking about his reason for not participating in practice, only that it was “personal.”.

A source close to the team said Diggs is working on finalizing an insurance policy to protect him against injury in the final year of his contract.

“As soon as this little business thing that I gotta do, as soon as it’s done — signed, sealed, delivered — I’ll be back at practice,” Diggs said. “But, I mean, I wouldn’t call it a ‘hold in.’ I would say I’m just getting some things cleared up and I’ll be back with my teammates pretty soon.”

Diggs said he recently had a conversation with Carroll about the situation.

“Me and Pete, we had to talk. So the front office, everybody upstairs understands,” Diggs said. “So my coaches, my teammates, they all understand. So I don’t think it’s a big deal.”

In his first full season with the Seahawks, Diggs, 28, earned his first Pro Bowl nod last season after leading the team with five interceptions.

Diggs signed a three-year, $18.6 million extension with the Detroit Lions in September 2018. The Seahawks acquired him in a trade midway through the 2019 season, and he’s scheduled to earn $5.95 million this season, according to OvertheCap.com.

“You guys been around me enough to understand that I love ball and I’m (going to) play ball,” he said. “Just like the organization takes care of (itself), I’m taking care of my business and I’ll be back shortly.”