Even in the middle of Super Bowl week, AFC East rivals aren’t totally off the New England Patriots‘ minds.
Patriots star wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who played for the Buffalo Bills from 2020 to 2023, was asked about his former team during the Super Bowl Opening Night on Monday. While Diggs is focused on playing in the Super Bowl for the first time in his career, he showed his former fanbase some love.
“I love ya’ll,” Diggs told reporters regarding the Bills. “I know I’m far gone, but I do miss ya’ll. I had a great relationship with ya’ll. … Parts of me wish things were different. I got a lot of love and respect for that team. … I know they’re not huge fans of me at this point, but I got a lot of love and respect for that organization and that fanbase, one of the craziest fanbases in the world. … Hopefully one day we can hug it out.”
Diggs also added a shoutout to Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
“Keep hanging your hat on that quarterback,” Diggs said. “That quarterback is a Hall of Fame quarterback.”
Now, Diggs is focused on helping Patriots quarterback Drake Maye take the first step toward building a Hall of Fame resume. Diggs returned to the AFC East this season via the Patriots after he spent the previous two seasons with the Houston Texans.
Stefon Diggs: ‘Ride Until the Wheels Fall Off’
Diggs has two more seasons left on his Patriots contract, and at 32 years of age, he isn’t quite done with football.
“Honestly, I’m going to ride until the wheels fall off,” Diggs told reporters on Monday.
New England signed Diggs to a three-year, $63.5 million contract in 2025, and it has paid off. Diggs has 85 receptions for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns from the regular season. In the playoffs, he has 11 catches for 73 yards and a touchdown.
Diggs had a six-year streak of 1,000-yard seasons before a knee injury sidelined him with the Texans in 2024. He only had 47 catches for 496 yards and three touchdowns before the injury.
There were questions on how soon Diggs would take the field for the Patriots in 2025, but he answered those quickly and became Maye’s top target. Because of Diggs’ comeback, he is in the running for Comeback Player of the Year with fellow finalists Aidan Hutchinson, Dak Prescott, Christian McCaffrey, and Trevor Lawrence.
Stefon Diggs: ‘Got Nothing to Prove’
While it’s Diggs’ first Super Bowl, he’s not coming in with a big chip on his shoulder as an established veteran who has made four Pro Bowls and first-team All-Pro before.
“I ain’t got nothing to prove,” Diggs told SiriusXM NFL Radio’s Isaac Rochell on Monday. “I feel like I am who I am. That’s a hell of a team we about to go play. I’m a part of a hell of a team. It’s gonna be a battle. It’s gonna be a challenge for us. But I ain’t got nothing to prove to nobody. If anything, I’m proving it to myself. I am exactly who I say I am. I’m gonna just continue to be me. I ain’t trying to be nobody outside of me.
Patriots’ Stefon Diggs Airs Thoughts on Bills, Josh Allen