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Two months after the Buffalo Bills surprised the NFL world by trading Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans, the wide receiver addressed the media for the first time.
Speaking to reporters about his departure on Tuesday, June 4, Diggs said the trade wasn’t a huge surprise to him.
“I kind of felt that it was going that direction throughout the season [in Buffalo],” he said. “I had some ups and downs, especially after the first eight [games]… Kinda felt it in the air a little bit.”
“When I got traded? I was happy. I was in a good place,” he noted. While Diggs called being in Houston “a breath of fresh air” several times, the 30-year-old had nothing bad to say about Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
From the get-go, even if the Minnesota Vikings didn’t trade him to Buffalo in 2020 “with the most great intent,” Diggs thrived because of Allen.
“When I got to Buffalo, Josh… is still my guy. People don’t really understand what it’s like to be out there. He really embraced me. He kinda had that Southern hospitality… I probably wouldn’t be right here without him. I got a lot of love for that boy. Y’all give him a hug and a kiss for me.”
The Bills ate over $31 million in dead money and took a $4 million cap hit to immediately part ways with Allen’s No. 1 wide receiver. To close the deal, Buffalo also sent Houston a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick. In exchange, the Bills received a 2025 second-rounder.
Diggs said he didn’t come to Houston to “chase a ring,” but he did come to win. “It takes a lot of effort and a lot of consistency from me… Winning is always in the forefront of my brain with everything I do. But it’s one thing at a time rather than just jumping the gun.”
Bills QB Josh Allen Shared a Heartfelt Sentiment After Buffalo Traded Stefon Diggs
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GettyFormer Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs (L) and quarterback Josh Allen at Highmark Stadium on November 13, 2023.
Allen spoke to reporters about three weeks after Diggs’ trade was announced. The wide receiver’s departure came a month after Bills abruptly cut several key veterans in a cap-saving move.
“We’ve made a lot of changes this offseason, lost a lot of veteran leadership. Stef being one of them,” Allen said on April 18. “I guess that’s the nature of the business. Going into Year 7 now, it is what it is. I don’t get paid to make changes on the team.”
“I shared a text with him,” Allen said of Diggs, “and got one back. Just thanking him for everything he did for me and always have a spot in my heart for him, always love that guy like a brother, I wish him nothing but the best… He meant a lot. You look at the statistics, numbers don’t lie.”
On what he learned from Diggs, “His mentality. The way he attacked every practice was infectious, especially to the younger guys.” As for his lasting memory of Diggs, “The receiver that helped me become the quarterback that I am today.”
Bills News: What Does the Offense Look Like Without Stefon Diggs?
With organized team activities underway, Allen and the Bills are adjusting to a vastly different receiving corps in 2024. With both Diggs and Gabe Davis gone, Allen’s top receivers include Curtis Samuel, Keon Coleman, Mack Hollins, and Khalil Shakir.
However, pass-catching tight end Dalton Kincaid is in line for another breakout season. Speaking to reporters on May 28, Kincaid addressed the mentality at practice after losing Diggs.
“A lot of selfless guys in that room,” Kincaid said. Obviously, that room looks a lot different from last year. I feel like that transition has gone really well.”
Kincaid shied away from speculation that he’s the new No. 1 guy. “I feel like we have quite a bit of weapons on offense so I wouldn’t per say, ‘I’m the guy,’… With Josh back there, he’s going to get everyone the ball.”
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