Josh Allen says media to blame for tension with Stefon Diggs
On the surface, it appears a rift has developed between the Buffalo Bills and star receiver Stefon Diggs.
However, if you ask quarterback Josh Allen, things are not as bad as they have been portrayed in the public eye — something the 27-year-old QB says the media has exaggeratedly misrepresented.
“The media has blown this so far out of proportion,” Allen said on a recent episode of the “Bussin’ with the Boys” podcast. “We are in minicamp. We’re not playing a game for four months, he doesn’t show up one day, he’s still there…and the media just blew it up and they’re still talking about it. Let it go. There’s no reason to continue to talk about it.”
Many, including former QB-turned-ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III, believe there has been some animosity between Diggs and Allen since Buffalo’s 27-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the playoffs in January — a game in which Diggs was reportedly not happy with the few targets he saw on the Bills’ final drive.
The 29-year-old wideout drew some heat after trying to leave the facility before the Bills coaches even made it back to the locker room after the loss. He was stopped by a teammate but booked it out of the stadium minutes later.
Diggs exacerbated the matter after no-showing the start of Bills minicamp in June, prompting head coach Sean McDermott to address his absence, calling the situation “very concerning.” Diggs’ agent, Adisa Bakari, later told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Diggs was, in fact, in Buffalo at the time and he had even taken a physical.
While Allen admitted McDermott asked Diggs to go home during the first day of minicamp, he said the situation was later resolved.
“He was on the field with us the next day,” Allen added. “It was not a big deal.”
Diggs is in the second year of his four-year, $96 million contract with the Bills. Despite reports and speculation that he wants out of Buffalo, it appears — at least for the 2023 season — that he’s not going anywhere.
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