The reason behind the tension between Stefon Diggs, Bills
There is a specific reason Stefon Diggs is upset with the Bills, which set off a strange sequence of events during the team’s mandatory minicamp last week.
According to the Boston Globe, Diggs has been unhappy with his “role in the offense” and “voice in play-calling,” which aligns with some of the frustration that the 29-year-old wideout visibly displayed near the end of the 2022 season.
The confusing situation started Tuesday, when Diggs wasn’t on the field for the team’s opening day of mandatory minicamp — something that’s required for Diggs to attend as a Buffalo player under contract.
Head coach Sean McDermott said that he was “very concerned” about Diggs’ absence, but the wideout’s agent later told ESPN that Diggs had met with McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane the previous two days, took his physical and “will be there for the entirety of the minicamp.”
Stefon Diggs only had four catches in the Bills’ season-ending playoff loss against the Bengals. Getty Images
Stefon Diggs expressed frustration with Bills quarterback Josh Allen in their season-ending playoff loss. CBS
Quarterback Josh Allen also said that “internally we’re working on some things” that were “not football-related,” before adding that the Bills wouldn’t have had much success — winning three consecutive AFC East titles and turning the franchise into an annual AFC contender — without his top target.
“He’s a brother of mine,” Allen said about Diggs. “This does not work, what we’re doing here, without him.”
Diggs then returned to minicamp and practiced the second day, and the Bills canceled their third and final session of the week.
McDermott told reporters on Wednesday that Diggs was “excused by me” and tried to alter the tone of what initially prompted some concern about the direction of Diggs’ relationship with the team.
Stefon Diggs has spent the last three seasons with the Bills following a trade from the Vikings. Getty Images
The Bills needed a new play-caller last season when Brian Daboll left to become head coach of the Giants, and the offense experienced some growing pains under promoted offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey — who hadn’t called plays in the NFL before.
Diggs, who led the NFL with 1,535 receiving yards in the 2020 season, still finished with his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season, but defenses started capitalizing on Buffalo’s lack of receiving options behind him.
Following a Nov. 13 loss to Minnesota, Diggs only had two games the rest of the season, including a pair of playoff games, where he topped 100 yards.
In the fourth quarter of the Bills’ season-ending playoff loss against the Bengals, Diggs approached Allen on the sideline and raised his arms — appearing to be frustrated by the offense, which had stalled throughout the entire game and led to Diggs catching just four passes against Cincinnati.
Then, after the game, Diggs reportedly left the locker room before returning for McDermott’s postgame conversation with the team.
Source: New York Post
