RENTON, Wash. — His right foot looked as if it had been bludgeoned by a hammer — but it's unlikely Quandre Diggs' sobs were due to the pain. The Seahawks safety was less than 10 minutes from completing the final season of his contract before floating into free agency, where he was set to be a money magnet based on his play.
But as his eyes welled up after suffering a dislocated ankle and a broken right fibula in the final quarter of the final game last January, Diggs had to think his future was murky — that he might never return to the level that has netted him a Pro Bowl nod in each of the past three seasons. One year later, you could argue that he is indeed not the same — that he's better than he's ever been.
When Diggs, 29, intercepted Rams quarterback Baker Mayfield's pass in overtime Sunday, it likely saved the Seahawks' season. The turnover led to a game-winning field-goal drive that eventually sent Seattle to the playoffs, after the Packers' loss that night. It was a crowning moment for the safety who has gone from sixth-round draft pick to Pro Bowler to potential first-time All-Pro (former teammate Dan Orlovsky tweeted that he voted for Diggs). And it was one that completed the transformation of Diggs' season from shaky to successful.
