Glover Quin, Entering Contract Season, Hopes To Finish Career In Detroit
By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid
Glover Quin, 31, knows his next contract will likely take him through the end of his NFL career.
And he's hoping it allows him to stay in Detroit.
The veteran safety is entering the final season of the five-year deal he signed with the Lions in 2013.
"This is my contact year, so it's kinda weird. I've been here going on five years now, but I would love to be here in Detroit. If I sign an extension I'd probably finish my career here, that'd be huge for me," said Quin.
He confirmed he and his agent have reached out to the Lions to talk about a new deal.
"But I can't control that. I don't know if it's gonna happen, when it's gonna happen. My job, like I've always said since I've been in the league, is I'm a player, so I just play. If they feel like I've deserved (an extension) and I've earned it then they'll make it happen. If not, then I'll play my year in Detroit and say good bye to you good people," Quin said.
"I try to stay out of all that stuff," he added. "We'll see."
Quin has played in 118 straight games dating back to his time with the Texans. Last season, he didn't miss a single defensive play. Despite the miles on his body, he feels he has plenty left to give.
"Shoot, yeah, what do you mean? I feel like I got a lot of football left. Body wise, I feel great, I feel like I can play a long time. We make a big deal about last year because I didn't miss a play. In 2014 I only missed seven -- five plays in Week 1 and two plays in Week 17. Throughout the course of my career I've played in a lot of plays, every season, so I feel like I got a lot left and my body feels good," said Quinn.
He added that his bothersome left ankle, on which he had surgery in the 2014 offseason, "is finally feeling better."
"I don't know if I've ever felt this good this early in the offseason," he said.
It also helps that Quin finds himself surrounded by youth in the Lions secondary.
"You get good young energy. I tell my guys in the defensive back room all the time, they keep me young," Quin said. "Obviously those guys, their legs are young, their muscles are young, so they're explosive, springy and happy and all those things. It kinda keeps you in the same way.
"You always want to compete with them and kind of let them know that, hey, even though I'm an older guy I still got it. I still can do this, I still can do that. I think you always need a good mix of young guys to keep the energy levels good and I do think you need some older guys to kind of direct the ship. I think we got a good mix."
It's a mix Quin would like to be a part of moving forward. Time will tell if that's in the cards.
