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Quandre Diggs was not trying to hurt N'Keal Harry when he delivered a helmet-to-helmet hit on the New England Patriots wide receiver in Week 2, and he made sure to relay that message after the game.
The Seahawks safety was assessed a 15-yard penalty and ejected from Sunday night's game as a result of the hit, which came late in the first quarter of Seattle's 35-30 win.
Harry revealed Tuesday during his media availability that Diggs reached out to him to discuss the play.
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“He reached out and he made it clear that he was not trying to hurt me and it was not intentional,” Harry said. “When it happened, I didn’t think it was intentional, either. I know that when you’re out on the field, stuff happens super, super quickly.
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"I never felt like it was intentional. It was just one of those football plays. I had already kind of figured that he wasn’t trying to do that. Him reaching out definitely meant a lot in the same regard.”
Harry and Diggs also had a brief Twitter exchange Tuesday in which they showed their respect for each other.
Despite the hard hit, Harry remained in the game and gave the best performance of his young pro career.
He set career highs with eight receptions, 72 receiving yards and 12 targets. He also played a pivotal role during the Patriots' comeback attempt with four receptions for 50 yards on seven targets in the fourth quarter.
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Harry's rookie season was negatively impacted by injuries, which limited him to seven regular season games in 2019. So far in 2020, he looks healthier and more confident in his game, and the on-field production matches that.
It's a promising sign for a Patriots offense that needs a strong season from Harry to realize its full potential.
