Getty Wide receiver Stefon Diggs #14 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates as he runs into the endzone for the game-winning touchdown as the Vikings defeat the New Orleans Saints 29-24 to win the NFC divisional round playoff game at U.S. Bank Stadium on January 14, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
An absence from Wednesday’s practice stoked speculation that wide receiver Stefon Diggs could soon be traded away from the Minnesota Vikings, but the rumors of an impending departure have seemingly been put to rest.
A league source with knowledge of the situation reportedly told NBC Sports Boston on Wednesday the Vikings have no plans to trade Diggs, who currently leads the team with 209 receiving yards and an impressive 16.1 per catch with 13 grabs on the season.
Such seemed the case considering Diggs had signed a five-year, $72 million contract in the offseason with $40 million guaranteed, but the Vikings receiver room isn’t exactly the most comfortable around the NFL at the moment.
First, it was wideout Adam Thielen’s frustrated postgame comments Sunday about the Vikings offense, saying “you have to be able to throw the ball” after quarterback Kirk Cousins targetted him just once in the Vikings’ 16-6 road loss to the Chicago Bears. Then came the social media posts from Diggs that sent trade rumors rumbling around the league.
Diggs being ruled out of Wednesday’s practice for a reason listed as “not injured related” only further cast suspicion the Vikings could be dealing away their a rising receiving star, but now all signs point to Diggs being with the team when they travel out east to take on the New York Giants this Sunday.
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Patriots Among Fits for Potential Stefon Diggs Trade
Stop me if you’ve heard that one before: It started with the New England Patriots.
After the Patriots offense was less than stunning in Sunday’s 16-10 win over the Buffalo Bills, the fan base was lighting up social media with talk about the reigning champions going after the promising wideout in Minnesota. To the credit of those hoping, the Patriots had already pulled off a wild — though, ultimately not worth their while — move to sign Antonio Brown.
While certainly not a confirmation of the Patriots’ interest, ESPN’s Josina Anderson on Wednesday night tweeted an unspecified team would “definitely be interested” in Diggs but were told the Vikings were not looking to trade the receiver. Of course, nothing is certain since the Vikings have not publicly commented on the rumors and have provided no explanation yet for his absence at practice.
Vikings Offense Needs Help
Cousins apologized Monday for not throwing the ball to Thielen in Sunday’s loss, which only underscores the Vikings offensive woes after scoring just six points in Chicago. Some, as Stephen A. Smith did Wednesday on ESPN’s “First Take” segment, have pointed the finger of the blame at the Vikings quarterback, and there is plenty to support that.
With the Bears stuffing star rusher Dalvin Cook for just 35 yards, Cousins wasn’t able to make much of the Vikings’ red zone opportunities and didn’t get points on the board until a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. And technically, it was Cook’s 2-yard rush that scored the six points, while Cousins ran an unsuccessful two-point passing play.
Cousins has put up respectable passing numbers since signing his record-breaking contract with the Vikings in March 2018, throwing for 4,298 yards and 30 touchdowns with a career-best 70.1 completion percentage despite also getting picked off 10 times. A deeper dive into the numbers, though, shows a troubling trend against serious competition, including a 1-6 record against teams above .500 in 2018.
So far, he is 0-2 this season against the same level of competition with a pair of NFC North losses to the Bears and Green Bay Packers. Nothing a Week 5 matchup against the 2-2 Giants can fix exactly, but it can get the Vikings back on track with a winning record.
At least they can count on having Stefon Diggs — for now, anyway.
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