Getty Bills receiver Stefon Diggs warms up prior to a game at Highmark Stadium on December 11, 2022.
While the Buffalo Bills work to pick up the pieces to rebuild for next season, Stefon Diggs is still struggling over their crushing 27-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Divisional playoff game.
“It doesn’t make sense. I will rack my brain with this s***,” the wide receiver said while appearing on the Season 6 premiere of “Uninterrupted: The Shop,” which aired on Wednesday, March 9. “I think it’s more execution than anything. S*** is small little pieces on why s*** is not going right… We got the players. We got the plays. Why s*** aint coming together? That’s when you draw so much question,” which is something the veteran does not enjoy.
“I never want to question who I am. I never want to question how I am. I’m giving this s*** all I got. I’m dying on the hill with that.” While no one questions Diggs’ talent or work ethic, there’s concern over his discontent in Buffalo, especially as his brother, Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs, publicly campaigns for him to be his teammate in Dallas.
Diggs discussed how fun it was to play against Trevon at the Pro Bowl in February, and the veteran was asked if he’s excited about facing him for the first time during the regular season next year, as the Cowboys are slated to play the Bills in Buffalo.
“Hell yeah. That’s what’s on the schedule right now,” Diggs said at the 3:04 mark, an odd thing to accentuate since the Bills’ opponents for the 2023 season are not going to change. The only way for that Diggs vs. Diggs showdown not to happen is if he or Trevon change teams before the matchup, or if either brother is unable to play that day. WGR 550‘s Sal Capaccio saw the clip and tweeted, “Maybe he’s referring to his brother? He has one year left on his deal.”
Diggs goes on to say that Trevon has been dying to go up one-on-one against him in a real game for so long, and while he may think he knows all the receiver’s moves, “I kept a couple up my sleeve, though. I had to.”
Diggs Admits He Went to a ‘Dark Place’ This Season
While fans worry Diggs will bounce out of Buffalo as he did with Minnesota in 2020, the three-time Pro Bowler delved into what led him to make that decision. The 29-year-old said on “The Shop” that his final two years with the Vikings “was one of my most darkest times, like my real dark times,” a feeling he experienced again this season with the Bills.
GettyStefon Diggs #14 of the Buffalo Bills kneels on the ground after a play against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Highmark Stadium.
“People don’t really understand what it’s like to go into a hostile environment or go to work and not feel comfortable. Not feel like it’s a safe haven,” Diggs said. “I kinda experienced a little bit of that this year, as far as going in a dark space a little bit. Just because I had some PTSD, you know what I’m saying?”
As for what took him to the dark place in Minnesota, “I didn’t want to be an unsung hero. I didn’t want to be second fiddle to nobody.” While Diggs has zero ill will toward receiver Adam Thielen, “I love bro to death,” he said and loves seeing his success, “I just knew for me, I wasn’t going for it. I felt like I believed in myself enough that I could lead a team… They treated me like a number one, but then at times, they played me small. So, it was kind of like a mind game just being young and being there.”
it’s time for a new beginning.
Diggs wanted to take his future into his own hands. “You know when I tweeted, ‘I think it’s time for a new beginning,’ — which he posted just days the Buffalo trade became official — “That was me betting on myself… Teams always look out for their best interests,” and Diggs wanted to do the same.
“For me, it’s always about the bigger picture. What I want for myself. What I want for my family. I’m not compromising that.”
Diggs Wants to Reach His Full Potential
GettyStefon Diggs #14 of the Buffalo Bills takes the field prior to a game against the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Wild Card playoff game at Highmark Stadium on January 15, 2023.
As for the diva rumors that followed after the trade, “That’s water off my back, I don’t care. I know what I bring to the table. I know what type of man I am. In any profession, all you want to do is reach your full potential,” Diggs said. “And if you’re not reaching the full potential not because of you – that’s a problem. It’s a battle within yourself. You have more questions more than answers. And I can’t navigate in that world.”
The Bills No. 1 receiver couldn’t contain his frustration during the playoff loss to Cincinnati and his fourth-quarter outburst toward quarterback Josh Allen quickly went viral. However, this wasn’t the first time Diggs complained about a lack of targets. Head coach Sean McDermott had to calm Diggs down during the Bills-Brown game on November 20, and it was a glaring issue following Buffalo’s win over the Detroit Lions on Christmas Eve, as he wasn’t targeted once during the first half.
While Diggs isn’t happy with the team’s postseason performance, it would be more concerning if he wasn’t, and from a financial standpoint, a trade appears out of the question. Pro Football Talk reported that Buffalo would get hit with a $34.775 million cap charge if they traded the Diggs before June 1. If they waited until after June 1, the Bills would get hit with $12 million cap charge and an additional $26 million in 2024, per Cover 1.