Away from Buffalo, Stefon Diggs finally calls out Vikings for trade to Bills

The Buffalo Bills were forced to make budget cuts to become salary cap compliant before the start of the new league year in March. It was the most significant churning of their roster since 2000, when the Bills released Pro Football Hall of Famers Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, and Andre Reed — the last remaining remnants of their Super Bowl teams. The offseason purge seemed to be over after March, but their most drastic move was yet to come. 

The Bills traded wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans on April 3, effectively marking the end of an era in Buffalo.

In 2023, the Texans turned from bottom-feeders to division winners in just one season. After finishing the 2022 season with one of the worst records in the league, rookie head coach DeMeco Ryans guided the team to a playoff victory in 2023. The Texans aren't resting on their laurels, either. The veteran wideout will join a talented unit that features wide receivers Tank Dell and Nico Collins, while catching passes from second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud, who put together a historic rookie campaign in 2023.

As excited as Diggs is for the opportunities ahead, he took some time to reflect on his career during his first media availability with the Texans.

Diggs praises Josh Allen, suggests Vikings didn't want him to succeed

Diggs was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He posted consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons in his last two years with the team, but his relationship with the team soured in 2020. Diggs began missing team meetings and practices in 2022, and the Vikings traded the disgruntled wideout to Buffalo in exchange for a slew of picks.

"I don't know if [the Vikings] sent me to Buffalo with the most kindest, with the most great intent," Diggs said. "But all's well that ends well." 

Buffalo was not seen as a Super Bowl contender at the time of the trade. Although Tom Brady's reign over the AFC East had come to end, the Bills were stuck in a perpetual cycle of underwhelming quarterback performance. Bills quarterback Josh Allen struggled in his first two seasons in the NFL. Allen led the Bills to a 15-12 record through his first 27 starts, which were plagued by poor decision-making. During that span, he completed just 56.3 percent of his passes for 5,163 yards with 30 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.

Although Diggs seems to still have negative feelings about the Vikings, he had nothing but positive things to say about Allen.

"When I got to Buffalo, Josh [Allen] ... really embraced me and spent a lot of time [with me]," Diggs said. "And I probably wouldn't be right here if it wasn't for him too, so I got a love for that boy." 

Diggs was brilliant during his four-year stint in Buffalo, where he developed an instant connection with Allen. There's no denying that Allen and the Bills offense began to flourish after acquiring Diggs. Allen set career highs in passing yards (4,544) and passing touchdowns (37) in 2020. The star wideout played a pivotal role in Allen's development, and Allen returned the favor by helping Diggs string together four consecutive Pro Bowl seasons to go along with a first-team All-Pro in 2020 and second-team All-Pro in 2022.

Things appeared to turn sour with Buffalo after four years, however. Diggs was seen shouting at Allen on the sideline during the team's 27-10 playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals after the 2022 season. In 2023, the tension seemed to linger — Diggs inexplicably missed minicamp the following offseason, and head coach Sean McDermott gave mixed reports about the absence. After the team's postseason run in 2023 came to an abrupt end, the disgruntled wideout began sending cryptic tweets about his future in Buffalo.

Diggs made four consecutive Pro Bowls during his time in Buffalo. Diggs never finished with fewer than 100 receptions or 1,100 receiving yards, but the 2023 season was his worst campaign with the team. He recorded 107 catches for 1,183 yards and eight touchdowns. After Week 9, Diggs only surpassed 70 receiving yards twice and failed to record a 100 receiving yards during the team's final eight games. He scored just one touchdown during that span.