The Seattle Seahawks got an early look at exactly why Trevon Diggs is such a fascinating gamble.
Seattle signed the former First-Team All-Pro knowing full well the risk. Knee injuries have taken a serious toll over the last several years, and the version of Diggs the Seahawks are betting on is no sure thing. Still, with cornerback depth thin, they may need him to be close to his old self.
Against the Kansas City Chiefs in preseason Week 3, Diggs showed both sides of the package in his first action wearing a Seattle jersey against another team. If that sequence had happened in a regular-season game, it would have produced a familiar reaction from 12s: a groan, then a cheer.
On Kansas City’s opening drive, quarterback Garrett Nussmeier hit veteran tight end Travis Kelce, and Kelce used one cut to shake Diggs to the ground. That was the ugly part, and it’s the kind of miss that matters for a corner trying to earn meaningful snaps in Mike Macdonald’s defense. Diggs has to tackle better than that if he’s going to hold up.
A drive later, though, Diggs flashed the playmaking that made him such a big-name addition in the first place. He read a pass from Nussmeier beautifully and picked it off, a reminder that his ball skills are still very real. Yes, it came against Kansas City’s backup quarterback - really the backup of the backup, and maybe not even a lock to make the active roster - but Diggs has built a career on finding the football.
That’s the tightrope with Diggs. He didn’t disappear, which matters, because Seattle hasn’t sunk much into the deal. He’s on a one-year contract worth just over a million dollars, so if the Seahawks move on, the financial hit is minimal.
If he can get anywhere near his 2021 form, when he had 11 interceptions, he should make the roster and could settle in as CB3. If Devon Witherspoon plays in the slot, Josh Jobe could man one outside spot while Diggs handles the other.
The Seahawks need the size Diggs brings on the boundary. But if the injuries have stripped too much from his game, or if the missed tackles keep showing up like they did against Kelce, his role could stay limited. With only one preseason game to show both the promise and the problems, Seattle got a little of everything from Diggs against the Chiefs.
In Other News...
Seahawks Fans May Not Love What Their New Owner Just Admitted
The Seahawks are entering a new era with the NFL approving the sale of the franchise to Vinod Khosla, who is buying the team from Paul Allen in a league-record $9.6 billion deal. Khosla, a billionaire entrepreneur, is taking over one of the leagues most recognizable teams with a long-term mindset, and his stated goal is simple enough for Seattle fans to embrace: win another Super Bowl.
Still, the transition comes with a reminder that ownership changes can reshape more than the balance sheet. Khosla also plans to give up his stake in the San Francisco 49ers as part of the purchase, underscoring how quickly his attention will shift fully to Seattle. For Seahawks fans, the bigger question now is how that patient approach will show up in the decisions ahead, especially with expectations already tied to the franchises championship standard. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Defender Just Fueled The Sam Darnold Debate Again
Sam Darnold goes into the new season carrying the kind of expectations that only come after a quarterback has reportedly led a team all the way to a Super Bowl title, and around the Seahawks there is plenty of confidence that he can handle the spotlight again. With offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak now gone, the conversation in Seattle has shifted from what Darnold did last year to what he can do next, and teammate Jarran Reed has made it clear he believes the quarterback is built for this stage.
The bigger test comes immediately, with Seattle set to open its title defense in a rematch against the New England Patriots. For a team trying to prove last season was no fluke, that first game will say plenty about how smoothly the Seahawks can move forward without Kubiak and how much faith they really have in Darnold to steady everything again when the pressure starts piling up. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Defense May Be Leaning Into A Dangerous New Identity
Brian Baldinger spent some time breaking down what Mike Macdonalds defense looked like at its most aggressive, and the Seahawks did not hide much when the pressure ramps up. In the Super Bowl, Seattle leaned harder into blitz looks than it had during the regular season, with the idea being to force quarterbacks into faster decisions and make the rest of the coverage package play up. It also fit the way Devon Witherspoon was deployed, with the cornerback sending more heat and helping create the kind of disruption that changes a drive.
The bigger question is whether that approach becomes a defining trait for Seattle moving forward. Baldinger suggested the Seahawks could keep leaning on disguises and blitzes to hunt quarterbacks, which makes sense when the front can get home and the coverage can survive behind it. It also carries real risk, though, because every extra rusher opens a door somewhere else, and the line between controlled aggression and giving up a big play can be thin. [Read more 🡒]
