Bills' Dion Dawkins sends a clear message on Stefon Diggs' return to Buffalo in what could be an emotional divisional game

Wide receiver Stefon Diggs is returning to Buffalo for the first time since leaving the organization. With it, a handful of players and even head coach Sean McDermott opened up about the veteran's return to Orchard Park, New York, in Week 5 of the NFL season.

Diggs was fantastic during his tenure with the Bills, racking up over 5,000 receiving yards with 37 touchdowns. However, what most of the Bills Mafia will remember is his less-than-ideal departure from the franchise. It was a bitter separation, with Buffalo eating more than $30 million in dead cap to move Diggs to the Houston Texans.

Ahead of the Week 5 matchup against the New England Patriots, none other than offensive lineman and fan-favorite Dion Dawkins broke his silence on Diggs and what it means for the veteran's return to Buffalo. Despite national media narratives, it's all love between the two sides heading into the matchup.

"I haven't spoken to Diggs. I've seen a press conference yesterday when he was in the locker room," Dawkins said. "This is year two without Diggs; the world is going to make it the return of Diggs again, but no. Diggs is our brother, Diggs is our teammate, Diggs is one of us. We're a part of his journey just as well as he's a part of ours.

"He's helped us win a lot of games, and he's been through the struggles of the 13-second game and all that stuff," Dawkins added. "Diggs was here. We love Diggs; to the world, they look at it as entertainment of his personal life, but he's a guy, and we love him as a football player and as a person. We expect Diggs to come in here and do what Diggs does well, and that's just be the star and a great receiver that he is.

"Diggs understands the environment that he's coming into, and he understands what the Mafia brings, and he understands that it'll be a hard game," Dawkins continued. "We understand that it'll be a hard game as well because we respect our opponents. Diggs is a competitor, and we're happy for him. I'm happy for him. He has a baby on the way, he probably has a couple of superpowers in there, who knows, but we love Diggs."

Despite the rocky departure, Diggs was electric with the Bills, leaving fans with more than a few memorable performances in his four-year stint.