The Buffalo Bills have done a phenomenal job of turning around their season over the past month, and they’ve mostly done it without Stefon Diggs. Following their November 26th loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the team was 6-6 and still had to face the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, and Miami Dolphins. Now, they’ve strung off four wins in a row and are just a Week 18 win away from claiming the second seed in the AFC.
Normally when teams rally like this, it’s because their star players step up and start carrying the team. However, that hasn’t been the case on offense. Superstar wide receiver Stefon Diggs hasn’t played up to his usual form, as his production has plummeted since Week 9. This isn’t due to excessive coverage, as Chiefs defender Justin Reid specifically pointed out that they were not double-covering Diggs in their Week 14 matchup.
For better or worse, Stefon Diggs has a history of not being the happiest camper when the ball doesn’t go his way. The receiver requested a trade out of Minnesota due to a lack of targets, and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio believes history might repeat itself.
Why Stefon Diggs Might Not Be A Buffalo Bill In 2024
The Beginning of the End?
The Buffalo Bills 2022 season ended in upsetting fashion, losing 27-10 to the Cincinnati Bengals while a clearly frustrated Diggs voiced his frustrations. While said frustration appeared to be water under the bridge at the start of the season, Florio points out that these team-wide issues appear to be coming back. For one, Diggs hasn’t been available to the media, his brother Trevon openly advocated for him to leave the Bills, and Florio points out that Buffalo themselves might decide they’re done with the wideout.
Stefon Diggs just turned 30, which is right around the point wide receivers start slowing down. It’s entirely possible that this is a sign of things to come and that Father Time has simply caught up with the former All-Pro. Diggs currently carries a $27.85 million cap hit in 2024, which is far too high for his current production. The Bills can save over $19 million in cap space by designating him as a post-June 1st cut, and unless Buffalo believes Diggs’ slow finish is just a blip on the radar, they could be tempted to cut bait.
Possible Stefon Diggs Team Fits
Stefon Diggs isn’t worth $27 million anymore, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a helpful piece of an NFL offense. If the Bills release him, he should have no shortage of suitors, even in a free agent pool that contains plenty of wide receiver talent.
This could be a similar situation to what happened with DeAndre Hopkins in 2023. At this point last year, everyone knew that the Cardinals were going to part ways with their star receiver, and Hopkins said he wanted to join a contender. However, he ended up following the money and signed with the Tennessee Titans. Diggs is probably in a similar boat where he’ll want to go to a good team but will ultimately sign with the highest bidder.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t aggressively pursue DeAndre Hopkins, in large part because they believed they already had enough pieces to succeed on offense. As it turns out, they were wrong. While Rashee Rice is fantastic, the rest of the wide receiver depth chart is an outright disaster. With Travis Kelce getting up there in years, the Chiefs need to find at least one more reliable playmaker if they want their offense to go back to being the class of the NFL. The Chiefs shouldn’t have overlooked Hopkins, and they can’t afford to make the same mistake with Diggs.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots have a lot of work to do this offseason, and they’ll probably be doing it without Bill Belichick. No matter who the head coach is, they’ll need to dramatically improve the wide receiver room if they want their next quarterback to succeed. Demario Douglas is the only receiver on the roster to show any signs of life, and the sixth-round pick is better off as a complementary weapon. Stefon Diggs can be the focal point this offense desperately needs, and he’d probably love the opportunity to face off against the Bills twice a year.
New York Giants
The 2022 New York Giants’ magical run to the playoffs came crashing back to Earth in 2023. Now, this team is staring down yet another rebuild and needs to add key pieces to just about every spot on the offense. This team has not had a true dominant wide receiver in eons, and Stefon Diggs might have a bit of fuel left in his tank. With over $37 million in cap space, it shouldn’t be hard for the Giants to come to terms on a contract.
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers need Bryce Young to turn into a franchise quarterback. While the first-overall pick has not played well this year, you’d be hard-pressed to find any first-year quarterback that could succeed in this environment. Stefon Diggs helped turn Josh Allen from a below-average starter to a top-five passer, and maybe he can do the same with Young. Seeing as Carolina has plenty of cap space and no first-round pick, they might as well aggressively attack the free agent market.
Baltimore Ravens
Last year at this point, the Baltimore Ravens ruined the free agent market for everybody when they signed Odell Beckham to a massive contract. After a slow start, the wide receiver has come alive in the back half of the season and could be on his way to a massive payday. If he continues his upward trajectory, the impending free agent could price his way out of Baltimore. In this scenario, Stefon Diggs could actually be cheaper. The Ravens need to find a reliable start to pair opposite Zay Flowers, and Diggs could give Baltimore an elite wide receiver duo.
Main Photo: Jamie Germano – USA Today Sports
