In his first season with the Buffalo Bills, Stefon Diggs is on his way to the best year of his career. After 13 games, Diggs has 100 catches for 1,167 yards and five touchdowns, putting him on pace for a 123-1436-6 campaign. The yardage already marks a new career high, while his 100 receptions lead the league if he catches just three more passes by the end of the season, he'll have a new high-water mark in that category as well.
Of course, this is Diggs' first season in Buffalo because he was traded there by the Minnesota Vikings this past offseason. The Bills sent their first-round pick to Minnesota in exchange for Diggs' services, marking the end of a tenure that was at times thrilling but also at times rocky. Diggs tried to force his way out of Minnesota for the better part of a year, unhappy with his role in the offense.
During a feature on this week's edition of Sunday Night Football, Diggs let on that he was also unhappy with the offensive approach in general. Specifically, he didn't want to be on such a run-first team.
"(The Vikings) were kind of gearing towards a run-heavy (offense) at that time," Diggs said, per a transcription by The Viking Age. "I didn't know it going in. I didn't know it was going to be that way. They only would allow me to do so much. In my eyes, it wasn't going to be in the best interest of my career."
Diggs also said that the Vikings misled him about said offense. It's unclear whether he was referring to coach Mike Zimmer or general manager Rick Spielman, but either way, he felt that the run-first inclinations were not clearly communicated to him when he signed his extension.
"People were kind of, I'm not going to say peeing on me and telling me that it's raining, that's a little bit harsh. But once you don't have trust with the person. It's hard to do business."
The Vikings have remained a run-heavy offense this year, even with Diggs' replacement, Justin Jefferson, quickly emerging as one of the league's best wideouts. The Bills, meanwhile, have been one of the pass-heaviest teams in the NFL, and Diggs' presence has played a big role in that shift.
Certainly, the Vikings are happy with Jefferson, but when calling the trade a win for both teams, people should probably keep in mind that Minnesota could have easily had both players, along with Adam Thielen. They'd then have one of the best three-deep wide receiver corps in the league, as the Bills do now. And maybe they'd be the ones who are 10-3 and looking like playoff contenders at the moment.