Last week, Buffalo Bills mandatory minicamp made NFL headlines for the wrong reasons. Star wideout Stefon Diggs was reportedly not in attendance on Tuesday when camp opened up, and head coach Sean McDermott said he was "very concerned" about the situation.
This case became more curious by the hour, as Diggs' agent said the star veteran was in the building on Tuesday, and would be there "for the entirety of minicamp." After that first practice session, quarterback Josh Allen told reporters that Diggs' issues were "not football-related," yet his follow-up comments made it appear they had everything to do with football.
The next day, Diggs returned to the facilities and was on the practice field.
On Sunday, we were finally given a glimpse behind the curtain with the Diggs situation. According to the Boston Globe, Diggs' frustration is due to his role in the offense and his voice in the team's play-calling.
Diggs caught 108 passes for 1,429 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns in 16 games played last season. He accounted for 29% of the Bills' receptions in 2022, which was tied for the third-highest rate in the NFL last year. Diggs ranked fourth in the NFL in receptions, fifth in receiving yards and tied for third in touchdown receptions.
However, the ending to the 2022 season was dramatic for Diggs and the Bills. After being upset by the Cincinnati Bengals on their home field in the divisional round, The Athletic reported that Diggs sprinted out of the locker room with all of his things before some of Buffalo's coaching staff even made it down to the tunnel that leads to the locker room. He was seen "exchanging some words" with Allen on the sideline during the loss, and later took to Twitter to explain that he just wasn't OK with losing. In that 17-point defeat, Diggs caught just 4 of 10 targets for 35 yards.
Stefon Diggs exchanging some words with Josh Allen on the sideline pic.twitter.com/J2heSTBMrc
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 22, 2023
Bills coach Sean McDermott told reporters last Wednesday that the team is "in a good spot" with Diggs, and added, "I feel like it's resolved." Fans can choose to believe the situation has been resolved, but it's just as fair to wonder if frustrations could bubble up again.
