WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

Notes, Quotes

The Sports Xchange

December 27, 2018 at 1:43 am.

–Glover Quin contemplated retirement in the spring when he stayed away from the team to deal with family matters, and the veteran safety said Wednesday he’s not sure yet if he’ll play again in 2019.

Quin, who turns 33 next month, has started to show his age on the field after serving as one of the Lions’ most important defensive players for his first five seasons in Detroit. He does not have an interception this year, the first time that’s happened since 2011, and he’s recently lost snaps to rookie Tracy Walker.

Quin said he’s not sure if he’d look to play elsewhere if the Lions cut him after the season – he has a $5.25 million base salary and another $1 million in bonuses – and he hopes to make a quick decision about his future after consulting with his family.

“Obviously you play to try to win it all,” he said. “Doesn’t always work out that way, but can’t look back on it and regret the decision (to return). You put a lot of thought and a lot of time into making a decision, and once you make it, you go at it.

“(I) had a great time. Getting to play football, getting to do what I love to do, getting to be around the guys, getting to have another year in the National Football League. I mean, how fortunate am I? So never look at it as a regretful decision.”

–Walker has emerged as a likely candidate to start in the secondary next season alongside Quandre Diggs at safety. He’s played more than 50 percent of the Lions’ defensive snaps in three of the team’s last four games, and has seen his role evolve from playing simply in two-minute situations – where the Lions preferred to have his length and athleticism on the field – to replacing Quin in regular defensive packages.

“I think Tracy’s learning the game and really trying to understand some of the situational things that he’s involved in,” Patricia said. “I would say he’s obviously got good size and good length, and his range, really I would say his overall knowledge of the NFL game is increasing. It’s obviously not there, but some of that experience and some of that film study and just live reps that he’s getting is kind of helping him to evolve as a player and really through practice see some things that have built a little bit more confidence in the building in things that he can do out there on the field so we keep trying to give him those opportunities when they arise.”

BY THE NUMBERS: 74 – Damon Harrison leads all NFL defensive tackles with 74 tackles and 47 solo tackles on the season. Harrison, who was not selected for the Pro Bowl, is just the second player since the NFL began tracking run-stuffs to have at least 70 tackles, eight run stuffs and 3.5 sacks in a season. Sheldon Richardson in 2013 is the only other player to reach those totals. Harrison did not practice for the Lions on Wednesday because of a sprained ankle, but he could become the eighth player to appear in 17 regular-season games since 1931 if he plays the next two weeks.

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