Getty Bills receiver Stefon Diggs at Highmark Stadium on September 17, 2023.
Just when discussion over Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs‘ rumored discontent with the team seemed to die down, drama regarding quarterback Josh Allen‘s No. 1 target sparked back up at the worst possible time.
Following the Bills’ embarrassing 22-16 loss to the New York Jets, the team clearly had a lot of work to do and a short week to do it before their home opener against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, September 17. Amid their preparation, a hot mic video featuring Bills reporter Maddy Glab commenting in jest about Diggs’ behavior went viral.
Diggs reacted to the video in a thread of X, formerly, known as Twitter, calling Glab’s comments “hurtful” and “insulting to my character,” and his brother, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs, reposted the clip and wrote, “Tuh! They turn on you so quick. Gotta get bro somewhere safe,” all of which sparked wild speculation about the receiver’s relationship with the team.
However, Diggs didn’t let the outside drama affect his game, and Bills head coach Sean McDermott told The MMBQ’s Albert Breer on Sunday afternoon that he was proud of how the 29-year-old receiver handled things.
“The guy loves football,” McDermott said, on how Diggs stayed centered during the week. “He’s got a really unselfish approach. That could have, if he didn’t handle it the right way, become a distraction. It was to begin with. But it could have become a bigger one.”
The Maryland alum once again proved to be Allen’s most reliable receiver against the Raiders, catching all seven of his targets for 66 yards, breaking Thurman Thomas’ record (4,341) for sixth-most receiving yards in franchise history, the team announced.
Maddy Glab Was Absent From the Bills’ Week 2 Coverage
While the Bills dismantled the Raiders in a dominant 38-10 win in Week 2, Glab did not cover the team in her usual capacity, and Steve Tasker took over as the co-host for the live postgame show. The Athletic’s Tim Graham posted on September 15 that she was “being sanctioned internally.”
Glab was heard saying in the video, “There’s no control over Stefon Diggs. Dudes gonna do what he wants to do. He’ll look in my face and say F-you. That’s how he treats everybody.”
After the clip went viral, Glab, who’s worked for the Bills as reporter reporter since 2019, per her LinkedIn profile, was quick to take ownership and issued a formal apology posted on X.
I want to apologize for what I said today.
“I am very sorry for what I said and meant no ill will,” Glab wrote. “I respect the hell out of Stefon Diggs, and he has been one of my favorite players to cover. He has great character and treats us media with lots of respect.”
Glab also explained the full context of what led to her comments being made in the first place.
“Media was waiting for players to come out for press conferences when a reporter jokingly told me to go get Stefon Diggs,” Glab wrote. “I said I don’t have control over him — Stef marches to the beat of his own drum and I love that about him. He has a playful relationship with our video department, so that’s why I said he probably wouldn’t say yes to me grabbing him for an interview.”
Sean McDermott Was Proud of How the Entire Team Bounced Back in Week 2
GettyBills Head coach Sean McDermott at Highmark Stadium on September 17, 2023.
During his press conference immediately after Sunday’s win, McDermott gave credit to the entire Bills roster for staying focused after such a demoralizing Week 1 loss.
“The discipline was present, really with the whole team, in particular Josh,” said McDermott. “When he does that, when he’s willing to take what they give him and take those check downs and then use his legs as well in a decisive way, he makes it really hard to defend.”
McDermott was also impressed by everyone’s resiliency. He told Breer, “I thought the guys really did a great job from a leadership standpoint. And that’s always good to see… They set their mind. Their mind was right. Nobody likes to lose. It’s a new team though, still. I know it’s been seven years, but it’s a new team, new players. New staff. Now, they’re trying to learn how to come together and grow and find a way to win a game every week. And I think that’s really where we’re at.”