According to Tom Pelissero, the Seahawks are cutting both safeties Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs.
The move will result in significant savings for Seattle, with $27.5 million in cap space coming off the books. It will also leave $31 million in dead money, assuming the Seahawks don’t use a June 1 designation.
In addition to the savings, the Seahawks have a new system on defense with HC Mike Macdonald, and that likely played a role in the decision.
Adams, 28, is a former first-round pick of the Jets out of LSU back in 2017. He played out the fourth year of his four-year rookie contract worth $22,256,084, which includes a signing bonus of $14,326,244.
The Jets exercised Adams’ fifth-year option before ultimately trading him to the Seahawks for a package including two first-round picks. Seattle later signed him to a four-year, $70 million extension in August of 2021.
In 2023, Adams appeared in nine games for the Seahawks and recorded 48 tackles and two pass defenses.
Diggs, 31, is a former sixth-round pick of the Lions back in 2015. He was entering the final year of his four-year, $2.395 million contract and in line to be an unrestricted free agent when he signed a three-year, $20.4 million extension in 2018.
The Lions traded Diggs midseason in 2019, however, to the Seahawks, swapping a seventh for a fifth-round pick in 2021. Seattle reworked Diggs’ contract, giving the defensive back more injury protection as well as adding a voidable year in 2022.
He then signed a three-year, $39 million extension with Seattle. Diggs was entering the final year of that contract in 2024.
In 2023, Diggs appeared in all 17 games for the Seahawks, recording 95 total tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception and five passes defended.
More must-reads: