Getty Stefon Diggs and Josh Allen celebrate during a game against the Arizona Cardinals.
Stefon Diggs is standing by his quarterback.
After Buffalo Bills signal caller Josh Allen sparked controversy this week with remarks about the COVID-19 vaccine, his All-Pro wide receiver took to Twitter to stand behind Allen and issue a light-hearted threat to his critics.
The latest Bills news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Bills newsletter here!
Diggs Backs Allen
The controversy started this week with Allen’s appearance on “10 Questions With Kyle Brandt.” When asked whether he had gotten the COVID-19 vaccine yet, Allen said he had not and added that he hadn’t made up his mind about it. Allen said he had more research to do before making his decision.
“I’m a big statistics and logical guy. So if the statistics show it’s the right thing for me to do, I’d do it,” Allen said, via WGRZ. “Again I’d lean the other way too if that’s what it said.”
Allen added that he was against the league mandating the vaccine for players, a step the NFL said it would not take.
“I think everybody should have that choice to do it or not to do it,” Allen said, via the New York Post. “You get in this tricky situation now where if you do mandate that that’s kind of going against what our constitution says and the freedom to kind of express yourself one way or the other. I think we’re in a time where that’s getting a lot harder to do. Everybody should have that choice.”
The remarks drew some pushback from those who believed that Allen was wrong to cast doubt on the vaccine that has the backing of public health experts. The Bills quarterback’s name was even trending on Twitter, which led teammate Diggs to weigh in. The wide receiver shared an image of a man shadowboxing and a message that he was ready to take on anyone trashing his teammate and friend.
Saw josh trending and was Rey see was good wit whoever lol
Other Bills fans stood up for Allen, saying he was entitled to his opinion. Though the Bills were largely able to avoid any large-scale COVID-19 outbreaks during the season, they were still impacted by the pandemic in other ways. Games against the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs were rescheduled due to other outbreaks, and fans were not able to fill Bills Stadium until the postseason, when the state allowed a little more than 6,500 to fill the stands for two home playoff games.
Diggs and Allen Grew Close
The teammates had fostered a tight relationship in their first year together, with both achieving career-best seasons while helping the Bills to one of the most efficient passing attacks in the NFL.
Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs: Best friends 😄 @JoshAllenQB @stefondiggs
Before the season started, Allen joked that he would be getting along well with Diggs, the most talented receiver to join the Bills roster during Allen’s time with the team. In a chat with reporters in August, Allen had some high praise for his new “best friend.”
“He’s a big-time player and he’s got the respect of every defense out there. When he can run routes and double move and get open and consistently make plays, that becomes a quarterback’s best friend,” Allen said, via the USA Today’s Bills Wire.
READ NEXT: Bills WR Stefon Diggs Hints at Major Change for 2021 Season