No star has been thrown around trade rumors this offseason quite like Buffalo Bills receiver Stefon Diggs.
Diggs has long been one of the sport’s best receivers, but rumors of his unhappiness continue to spread and frankly more could be done to put the rumors to rest. There isn’t necessarily fire at the source of this rumor’s smoke, but there’s enough uneasiness to keep eyes on Buffalo waiting for something to finally snap.
In the past week, Diggs has taken to social media in a cryptic manner, posting short messages like a heart emoji, “Ready for whatever,” and “God I trust you.” These are far from incriminating, but when the magnifying glass of the football world is focused on him, they can seem incendiary.
As such, the topic made it to the national media, where pundits drew their conclusions from his series of posts. It’s safe to say “First Take” co-host Shannon Sharpe, a Hall of Fame tight end, wasn’t impressed.
“I think the Bills are like myself, tired of all these cryptic tweets,” Sharpe said. “Stefon Diggs is gonna be one of these guys the Buffalo Bills are going to tolerate him until they can replace him, and he’s on borrowed time, because it’s always something with him.
“In that they throw him the ball or he’s complaining that he’s not getting the ball. … Then they throw him the ball and he drops it, not a word to be said, couldn’t be found. Bro, everybody wants the ball. You’re not the only one. You don’t think Gabe Davis wanted the ball? You don’t think Dawson Knox, Kincaid, they wanted the ball?”
There’s some merit to Diggs’ need for targets – he’s a difference-maker and an elite player on an offense that lacks a weapon with comparable talent. He also saw the seventh-most targets in football (160).
In 2023, Diggs caught 107 passes for 1,183 yards and eight scores. In each of his four seasons with Bills quarterback Josh Allen, he has surpassed 150 targets, 100 receptions, 1,100 yards, and eight touchdowns.
However, the second half of the season wasn’t kind to Diggs and began to raise concerns that his prime was fading. After 100-yard games in five of the first six weeks, Diggs wouldn’t see another in the regular season. From November on, Diggs saw just 43 catches, 435 yards, and two trips to the end zone, a season-long pace that would be the least productive since the end of his rookie season.
In that sense, it’s fair for Diggs to feel frustrated with his production. Yet, there’s no better chance for Diggs to both produce and win than with a superstar like Allen under center, and Buffalo isn’t begging to trade him to a fellow AFC contender. Whatever his priorities are, there’s a good chance Western New York is the best place for them.
“For me, I’m just so tired of every time I turn around in the offseason is the shenanigans, the antics like this, the cryptic tweets,” Sharpe said. “Bro, just play football. You’re making tons of money, you get to fly around the world, you’re at fashion shows, and you’ve earned that right! But enough of this! Enough of the petulance on the sideline. It just rubs me the wrong way.”
Until Diggs gets traded or is actually close to doing so, worrying about the status of the star receiver probably isn’t worthwhile. As Sharpe said, until another star is readily available, the Bills aren’t incentivized to move off of Diggs. With his track record, a few rogue tweets won’t be sending him out of town.
Diggs will have every chance to stay and succeed in Buffalo. His talent demands it, and the veil of being a distraction isn’t going to scare Allen or the Bills away from their favorite target.
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