Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs returned to minicamp before players and coaches were dismissed until training camp. However, the issues that caused his brief departure may still remain.
After initially appearing for minicamp, Diggs left the team with head coach Sean McDermott stating he was “very concerned” about the absence. All-Pro quarterback Josh Allen immediately came to Diggs’ defense and as rumors swirled regarding the cause, Diggs took to social media.
- Stefon Diggs contract: $14.875 million cap hit (2023), $27.854 million cap hit (2024), $18 million salary (2025), $19.09 million salary (2026)
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Already one of the highest-paid NFL players, Diggs’ absence wasn’t related to his contract. The 29-year-old signed a lucrative extension in 2022 and it was made clear money wasn’t the issue. In addition, Diggs’ cap hit and the Bills’ situation ruled out the All-Pro receiver wanting a trade.
While the Bills’ coaching staff and Allen have spent multiple days working through a resolution with Diggs, the specific root of the problems hasn’t been known. Now, new insight has shed some light on what’s happening in Buffalo.
According to Ben Volin of The Boston Globe, Diggs’ frustration is with his role in the offense and his lack of input in the Bills’ play-calling
- Stefon Diggs stats (2022): 108 receptions, 1,429 receiving yards, 11 touchdowns in 16 games
Diggs is coming off three consecutive seasons with 100-plus receptions and 1,200-plus receiving yards. In each of the last two campaigns in Buffalo, he scored double-digit touchdowns and combined for 2,654 receiving yards in 33 games.
While Diggs had the fifth-most targets in the NFL (154) last season, his production dipped late in the year. As Allen played through an elbow injury, Diggs averaged just 63.4 receiving yards per game on 55 targets in his final seven regular-season contests.
Furthermore, per Volin, the issue traces back to the playoff loss against the Cincinnati Bengals. After Diggs got into a heated confrontation on the sideline with Allen, he stormed out of the Bills’ locker room immediately after the game and skipped voluntary workouts this offseason.
While Diggs attended mandatory minicamp, went through his physical and fulfilled his obligations to the team, issues still remained. It led to additional conversations at team headquarters this past week, which resulted in Diggs leaving the team.
Diggs’ departure from the Minnesota Vikings was both due to his lack of involvement in the offense and his growing frustration with the poor play of Kirk Cousins. While he has no issues with Allen, it’s clear the three-time Pro Bowl selection believes he should have an even larger role in the offense moving forward.
