Stefon Diggs celebrates a catch in a game against the Miami Dolphins.
The abrupt end to the Buffalo Bills season was very hard on Stefon Diggs, and his discontent with falling short in the playoffs — along with his brother’s heavy-handed recruiting to bring him to the Dallas Cowboys — has spurred trade rumors.
One insider is now pumping the brakes. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio acknowledged the rumors that have built up around Diggs in the weeks after the team’s divisional-round loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Diggs was seen growing upset on the sidelines during the game and reportedly left the stadium abruptly afterward. Since then, he has shared some cryptic messages on social media and opened up about his unhappiness with the way the season ended.
But it could be unlikely for the Bills to actually go through with trading Diggs, Florio explained.
Major ‘Complication’ if Bills Want to Trade Stefon Diggs
Florio noted that Diggs left the Minnesota Vikings under similar circumstances in 2020. Bills general manager Brandon Beane said he had tried to trade for Diggs in the past but the talks did not progress. After Diggs tweeted a cryptic phrase “it’s time for a new beginning,” Beane said he reached out to the Vikings again and this time the teams were able to finalize a deal.
But Florio noted that the situation is very different three years later, as it could be prohibitively expensive if the Bills were to trade Diggs now.
“Although nothing can be ruled out, there’s one major complication that didn’t apply when the Vikings traded Diggs in 2020,” he wrote. “Given the contract that Diggs received last year, a trade before June 1 would trigger a cap charge for the Bills of $34.775 million.”
Florio added that the Bills rely heavily on Diggs, and trading him would blow a hole in their offense.
“The other problem is that the Bills don’t really have any other high-end receivers,” Florio noted. “They could try to sign one or trade for one, or they could try to get one on the draft.”
Diggs Speaks Out on Season’s End
While he hasn’t shown any discontent about being in Buffalo, Diggs has made it clear that he’s not happy with the way the Bills’ season came to an end. In an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show during Super Bowl week, the Bills receiver defended his reaction to the team’s playoff loss.
“I will never apologize for passion,” Diggs said. “Some people will say don’t be a sore loser. It’s hard not to be frustrated.”
“I show you a good loser,” Diggs added. “I show you a loser.”
Diggs also pointed out the struggles that the team endured over the back half of the season.
“We were creating ways to win, but just how we were winning wasn’t as smooth as the first nine weeks,” Diggs said. “We had a lot of ups and downs. And individually, trying to keep things tied together, it was just some crucial moments late in the year, late in the fourth quarter, there were opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of.”
The rumors grew from there, fueled in part by some cryptic tweets from Diggs and open recruiting from his brother, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs, trying to pry the All-Pro wide receiver away from the Bills.
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Bills’ Stefon Diggs Trade Rumor Has ‘Major Complication’: Insider