Getty Stefon Diggs #14 of the Buffalo Bills runs the ball during the second quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on December 26, 2021 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
When the Buffalo Bills (10-6) take on the New York Jets (4-12) on Sunday, January 9, expect wide receiver Stefon Diggs to be on the field as much as possible.
Diggs has an elevator clause in his contract that will increase the amount he gets paid over the next two years if he hits one of two stats before the regular season ends. The Pro Bowler gets a pay bump if he tallies 1,375 receiving yards or if he hits 100 receptions.
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While the 28-year-old won’t hit the receiving yards mark, Diggs enters Week 18 with 1,144 receiving yards under his belt, but he can absolutely reach 100 receptions. The former fifth-round pick from the 2015 NFL Draft needs to record just six catches against the Jets in order to see his base salary get huge raise in 2022 and 2023.
If Bills quarterback Josh Allen can complete six catches to Diggs on Sunday, the receiver will nab a total of $1,550,000 in future earnings. Diggs will get an extra $750,000 in 2022, and an added $800,000 in 2023, per Sportrac’s co-founder Michael Ginnitti.
“You, you, you, you, and you… Shut the f**k up.”
Stefon Diggs to Patriots fans 💀💀
Last season, Diggs hit both incentive marks, which gave him a $1,316,666 bonus to his 2021 salary, per SB Nation.
Diggs has two years left on his contract once the 2021 NFL season comes to a close. He’ll be eligible for a contraction before the start of next season.
Diggs Caught 8 Passes Against the Jets Earlier this Season
Week 10 #DCTDC Washington Metro Pro Player of the Week is @BuffaloBills Stefon Diggs!
Diggs, who starred at @gcfootball & @TerpsFootball, caught eight passes for a season-high 162 yards & one TD as the Bills beat the Jets, 45-17!
📹@NFL
Week 18 marks the second time this season that the Bills will face off against their AFC East rival. Buffalo absolutely dominated over the Jets, beating them 45-17 on November 14, during which Diggs put up season-high numbers.
Allen targeted his top receiver 13 times during the Bills win over the Jets. Diggs ultimately caught eight passes for 162 yards and a touchdown against New York.
Stefon Diggs talking about his TD catch vs. the Jets: “Just doing my part in the group project.”
So if the two teams’ previous matchup serves as a preview, Diggs can expect his bank account to get much fatter after Week 18. As it stands, Diggs ranks 11th in the NFL in receptions (94), eighth in receiving yards, and he’s tied for seventh in touchdown catches (9), as reported by The Buffalo News.
However, if Diggs doesn’t make the six catches, he still won’t be hurting for cash. In 2021, Diggs’ base salary sits at $990,000, with a roster bonus of $982,843, a restructure bonus of $13,068,333 and a workout bonus of $50,000, while carrying a cap hit of $6,378,954 and a dead cap value of $14,858,333.
The Bills are 17-Point Favorites to Beat the Jets in Week 18
Sean McDermott: “Records don’t matter, the Jets are playing good football.”
The Bills are favorited to beat the Jets with a 17-point spread. However, the Jets proved they still have a lot of fight in them after nearly taking down Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, January 2.
#Jets HC Robert Saleh is really excited about the upcoming matchup w/ #BillsMafia, ‘this is everything you dream of’ considering playoff atmosphere & December football + says ‘we gotta make them earn it’, w/ a win the #Bills win the AFC East: #NYJvsBUF #TakeFlight
New York was up 24-10 during the third quarter before Brady went into full G.O.A.T mode. He led three straight unanswered scoring drives in the fourth quarter, and a two-point conversion to seal a 28-24 victory with 15 seconds left on the clock.
Josh Allen says the signs around the building have already been changed from ‘PLAYOFF caliber’ to ‘CHAMPIONSHIP caliber’
Therefore, don’t expect Allen and the Bills to sleep on this final regular-season matchup, as they will clinch the AFC East for the second straight year with a win, and that’s not all. If Buffalo wins on Sunday and the Cincinnati Bengals lose, the Bills will earn the No.3 seed in the playoffs.
If the Bills win, and both the Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs lose, the Bills could bump up to the No.2 seed, per News 1 Buffalo’s Jon Scott.
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