Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs, known for catching the walk-off touchdown pass in the NFC Divisional Round that will forever be remembered as the “Minneapolis Miracle,” is about to get paid. The star wideout has signed a five-year contract extension with the Vikings, keeping him with the team until the 2023 season.
The #Vikings and WR Stefon Diggs have agreed to terms on a 5-year extension worth $72 million, source said. He gets $81M max. $40M in guarantees.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 31, 2018
Stefon Diggs Agrees to Terms on Five-Year Extension With Minnesota Vikings
A fifth-round selection in the 2015 NFL Draft out of the University of Maryland, Diggs has blossomed into being one of the best young receivers in pro football. In 2017, he caught 64 passes for 849 yards and eight touchdowns, leading all receivers in contested catch rate with 64.5 percent. The receiver has demonstrated his positive impact on the Vikings’ offensive production, particularly with his speed to run past cornerbacks on the deep ball and catching slant routes underneath that keep defenders always guessing and missing. He has shown his ability to consistently to break free from the line of scrimmage and catch passes in tight windows. For his career, Diggs has 200 receptions, 2,472 yards, and 15 touchdowns, racking up these numbers as a 24-year old in 40 games.
Heading into the off-season, Diggs was set to become an unrestricted free agent. There was concern that the two parties couldn’t come to an agreement so the young receiver would have to part ways and join another team. But the situation has been handled and the wide receiver, who caught the 61-yard pass and run on the last play of the game to send the Vikings to the NFC Championship game, will be a pivotal asset on Minnesota for years to come.
“I love being here,” Diggs said earlier this off-season. “… I love playing with the Vikings. I started here, and I’ve been happy all my time here. I love my teammates, I love my staff. There’s no place I’d rather be than here.”
Diggs’ contract worth is not the same level as top-market wide receivers such as Antonio Brown ($17 million AAV) or Mike Evans ($38.2 million guaranteed). But the receiver, along with Adam Thielen, will be the main passing targets for Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins this upcoming season, generating a bulk of the yards on offense.
The city of Minneapolis has their miracle star in Diggs. The Vikings are here to stay and will be competing for the Super Bowl for years to come.
