Getty Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs has been linked to a trade to the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys have been linked to a move for Buffalo Bills WR Stefon Diggs, and the receiver appears to be leaving his future open. While at the NFL’s Pro Bowl games, Diggs was asked about his plans and he offered an ominous response.
There have been multiple moments where Diggs and his brother and Cowboys corner Trevon Diggs have fueled speculation over a potential reunion on Dallas’ roster. As Stefon enters his 30s, he is keeping his cards close to his chest.
“I feel like I take it day by day,” Diggs said according to ESPN’s Stephen Holder. “Obviously, there’s a lot of changes going on, a lot of things going on. I can’t really put the carriage before the horse, you know what I’m saying? But I got a great offseason in front of me to put a lot of work in and kind of build around what we got and what we’re doing. I can’t tell you what the future holds, but I’m still being me… I’m ready to go no matter which way it goes.”
So, Diggs didn’t rule out a major change but also didn’t outright state he anticipates a departure from Buffalo.
Stefon Diggs Has ‘Worst’ Year in Buffalo Yet
By average NFL standards, Diggs’ 2023 season was fantastic. As Pro Football Reference shows, he caught 107 passes for 1183 yards and 8 touchdowns. But compared to his three previous seasons with the Bills, it was a drop-off.
His 11.1 yards per catch was the lowest of his Buffalo tenure, while his 8 touchdowns is his lowest total since his first year with the Bills in 2020. In addition, he dropped 8 passes for the second consecutive season.
Some of this can be attributed to Bills QB Josh Allen having a below-his-standards year. But whether its due to QB play or not, it wasn’t an ideal campaign for Buffalo. The Bills, like the Cowboys, are trying to win Super Bowls and they fell short in the AFC Divisional Round.
The additional speculation and tension due to comments like what Trevon Diggs said in November has only added further questions about the situation. Either way, Diggs is still producing at a high level.
Diggs Would Be a Costly Move for Cowboys
As enticing as adding Diggs could be, it’s not going to be cheap for Dallas or any other interested team. Diggs is mid-way through a huge four-year, $96 million contract and the Bills will want a sizable package in a trade.
According to Spotrac, Diggs will be due $18 million in salary in 2024. Further, his contract has a clause that fully guarantees that money on March 17. Considering the NFL 2024 league season officially begins on March 13, they have a very small window to make a trade happen without the salary being fully guaranteed.
Further, his salary increases in 2025 to $19 million. While Diggs is still clearly effective, he is now on the “wrong” side of 30 and each year down the road makes it more and more unlikely that he’ll produce at the level he does right now.
If the Cowboys do want to add a top receiver to complement CeeDee Lamb, there may be better value elsewhere.