Getty Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs warms up at Highmark Stadium on September 19, 2022.
If the Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said on Day 1 of mandatory minicamp that Stefon Diggs‘ absence from practice was excused instead of claiming to be “very concerned,” the team could’ve avoided the public drama that ensued.
Without knowing why Diggs needed “a break and some space” as McDermott later explained, outsiders can only speculate about what happened. While the Boston Globe‘s Ben Volin reported on Sunday, June 18 that three-time Pro Bowler’s frustration stemmed from “his role in the offense and his voice in play-calling, per a league source close to the Bills’ locker room,” that doesn’t explain how or why things went haywire at minicamp.
On Monday, June 19, Diggs shared a message on Twitter that appeared to respond to the swirling speculation over his rift with the franchise. “Lol now yaw just saying anything,” he tweeted before adding later that evening, “They can’t break me.”
Diggs has openly discussed his frustration with how the team’s offense played in the back half of the season and his sideline blow-up at quarterback Josh Allen during their playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals was seen live on national TV. So, the issues Volin mentioned were not exactly secret.
NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday, June 20 that “most” of the speculation regarding the Diggs’ situation is “wrong” and at the end of the day, the receiver’s main concern is making sure the Bills are in the best possible position to win. “I also have no doubt this will be something that will be behind us when it’s time to get ready for the season,” Rapoport concluded.
Analysts Slammed ‘Nonsense’ Report Claiming Stefon Diggs’ Frustration Is Linked to Buffalo Not Signing DeAndre Hopkins
GettyBills star Stefon Diggs’ (L) and former Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins’ (R).
Earlier on Tuesday, Craig Carton of FS1’s “The Carton Show” said Diggs’ frustration with the team stemmed from the Bills asking him to restructure his contract in March, which cleared up nearly $5.4 million in cap space. Carton boldly claimed the 29-year-old receiver only agreed to do so if they used that money to go sign DeAndre Hopkins.
This report faced immediate backlash from several analysts. BuffaloDown’s Brandon Croce tweeted, “This makes no sense. Players wouldn’t have to agree to restructured deals unless void years were added which didn’t happen here. It doesn’t change their compensation,” while 13WHAM‘s sports director Mike Catalina wrote, “The only part of this that isn’t total nonsense is that Diggs is upset about something. The rest of it is just loud guy at the end of the bar stuff.”
News 4 Buffalo‘s Nic Veronica tweeted, “C’mon, it’s not like Stefon Diggs took a pay cut to make this happen and then it didn’t happen. His restructure meant he got paid his money SOONER in a way that helps the team with accounting in the short term. Maybe he wants them to get DHop but not like he sacrificed $ for it.”
The Bills Need to Find a Way to Make Peace With Stefon Diggs
The $96 million extension Diggs signed with Buffalo last year makes an immediate trade or release nearly impossible, so the Bills and their No. 1 wide receiver need to find a way to make peace. With 108 receptions for 1,429 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns in 16 games last season, a motivated Diggs is vital for Buffalo’s continued to success.
Diggs’ relationship with Allen appears to be fine, which is a great sign. Hopefully, when the Maryland alum addresses the media at training camp, Diggs expresses that everything is “resolved,” as McDermott claimed. Allen told reporters last week, “Stef, he’s my guy. I f****** love him… This does not work, what we’re doing here, without him.”
Much like the “13 seconds” debacle from two years ago, what caused of this dilemma to blow up may never become public information, which is fine if Diggs and the team get on the same page and move on. Yahoo! Sports Charles McDonald surmised on Tuesday, “The Bills and Diggs need to squash this and makeup because they’re going to need each other if they want to achieve their shared vision of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy after the season.”
