After just one season with the Seattle Seahawks, Quinton Dunbar is heading to another NFL home. The cornerback has agreed to a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions, his agency Elite Loyalty Sports announced on Monday. The specific financial terms of Dunbar’s deal that has him off to the Motor City were not immediately disclosed.
This signing comes off the heels of a free agent visit that Dunbar had with the club on Monday, which was seemingly quite successful for both sides. Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network relays that Dunbar and Detroit DC Aaron Glenn hit it off during the visit, which likely was a key reason why this deal came to fruition. Dunbar was also slated to visit the Arizona Cardinals this week as well, so getting a deal done while he was in the building seemed to be a point of emphasis for the Detroit brass.
The 28-year-old was traded to Seattle last offseason after originally beginning his career in Washington. After dealing with legal troubles in the thick of the 2020 offseason, the corner went on to play in just six games for the Seahawks in 2020 and landed on injured reserve in mid-November due to a knee injury. Dunbar was designated to return off IR in early December but later underwent a knee procedure and was sidelined for the rest of the year. Of the half dozen games Dunbar played in, he totaled 30 tackles, defended five passes and hauled in one interception. When targeted, he allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 64.8% of their throws.
While Detroit will be Dunbar’s third team in as many seasons, there is some familiarity with the Lions. This move unites him with current Lions defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant, who was on staff in Washington during two seasons of Dunbar’s tenure there. In his final season in Washington in 2019, Dunbar did seem like he was emerging into a top-flight defensive back, allowing a 61.2 pass rating against opposing QBs.
Now, Dunbar will look to rekindle that level of play when slotted in opposite of 2020 first-round pick Jeff Okudah in the Detroit secondary.