{"id":176399,"date":"2024-06-07T13:00:36","date_gmt":"2024-06-07T17:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=176399"},"modified":"2024-06-06T17:10:55","modified_gmt":"2024-06-06T21:10:55","slug":"stefon-diggs-josh-allen-trade-bills-texans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/06\/07\/stefon-diggs-josh-allen-trade-bills-texans\/","title":{"rendered":"Stefon Diggs Praises Josh Allen Amid Rumors of Fractured Relationship After Bills-Texans Trade"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>New Houston Texans wide receiver <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/04\/07\/stefon-diggs-dynasty-outlook\/\" target=\"_self\">Stefon Diggs<\/a> said he&#8217;s got &#8220;a lot of love&#8221; for Buffalo Bills quarterback <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/06\/01\/2024-buffalo-bills-53-man-roster-projection-june-otas-minicamp\/\" target=\"_self\">Josh Allen<\/a>. The comments come despite rumors of discontent leading up to the April trade that ended their four-year partnership.<\/p>\n<p>Diggs spoke publicly for the first time since the blockbuster deal on Tuesday, saying Allen helped him reach a new level following his time with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/vikings\/\" target=\"_self\">Minnesota Vikings<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;When I left Minnesota, I was a good player. But I always felt more for myself. I felt like I was better than that. And that I could be better than that. And kind of up to that point, I was just like &#8216;S&#8212;, I&#8217;m going to roll the dice and bet on myself,'&#8221; Diggs <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/story\/_\/id\/40278583\/stefon-diggs-happy-texan-praises-bills-josh-allen\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">told reporters<\/a>. &#8220;When I got to Buffalo, Josh was and still is my guy. People don&#8217;t really understand what it&#8217;s like to be out there. He really embraced me. We spent a lot of time together and I probably wouldn&#8217;t be right here if it wasn&#8217;t for him.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>Diggs, Allen Trade Positive Comments About Time Together<\/h2>\n<p>The 30-year-old University of Maryland product continued to heap praise on the quarterback who helped him earn NFL First Team All-Pro honors in 2020.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Stefon Diggs: <\/p>\n<p>\u201cJosh [Allen] is my guy. He kinda had that southern hospitality. I probably wouldn\u2019t be here with out him. I got a lot of love for that boy. Ya\u2019ll give him a hug and a kiss for me.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/R0vEJpDAaC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/R0vEJpDAaC<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Will Kunkel (@WillKunkelFOX) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WillKunkelFOX\/status\/1798046043881517072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 4, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Allen, 28, also took the high road when asked to discuss the four-time Pro Bowl receiver, recalling a text message he sent Diggs after the trade.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Just thanking him for everything that he did for me,&#8221; Allen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nfl\/news\/josh-allen-shares-what-he-texted-stefon-diggs-after-bills-traded-the-star-wide-receiver-to-texans\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">said<\/a> in April. &#8220;I&#8217;ll always have a spot in my heart for him and I&#8217;ll always love him like a brother and wish him nothing but the best.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>Issues Between Diggs, Allen Began To Mount In Recent Years<\/h3>\n<p>Evidence their on-field relationship was starting to crumble became amplified after Buffalo&#8217;s 27-10 playoff loss to the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/bengals\/\" target=\"_self\">Cincinnati Bengals<\/a> at the end of the 2022 season. Cameras caught Diggs engaged in an animated one-way rant directed toward the perennial MVP candidate.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Stefon Diggs exchanging some words with Josh Allen on the sideline <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/J2heSTBMrc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/J2heSTBMrc<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NFL on CBS \ud83c\udfc8 (@NFLonCBS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NFLonCBS\/status\/1617294279306526721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 22, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The veteran pass-catcher then skipped a portion of the the Bills offseason program ahead of the 2023 campaign. He returned for the start of training camp, but it apparently didn&#8217;t take long for the lingering problems to pop back up.<\/p>\n<p>In April, Tim Graham of The Athletic reported Diggs made a comment toward Allen after Buffalo&#8217;s Week 1 loss to the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/jets\/\" target=\"_self\">New York Jets<\/a> last season that caused a strong reaction from the signal-caller:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">After the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Bills?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Bills<\/a> week 1 loss to the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Jets?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Jets<\/a>, Josh Allen reportedly snapped at Stefon Diggs in the locker room when Diggs said something to Allen\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s one f*****g game!\u201d Allen told Diggs.<\/p>\n<p>Also in a story written by <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ByTimGraham?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@ByTimGraham<\/a>, Stefon Diggs \u201cwore out\u201d the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Bills?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Bills<\/a>, some said\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/eY6S4Uspnl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/eY6S4Uspnl<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/uSTADIUM\/status\/1776275752222077234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 5, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Diggs&#8217; play on the field took an abrupt turn for the worse in the middle of the 2024 campaign. Here&#8217;s a look at the breakdown:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>First 8 Games: 64 catches for 748 yards and 6 TD<\/li>\n<li>Last 9 Games: 43 catches for 435 yards and 2 TD<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>He also made a critical drop late in the team&#8217;s 27-24 playoff loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/chiefs\/\" target=\"_self\">Kansas City Chiefs<\/a> in January. He finished that game with three catches for 21 yards.<\/p>\n<p>Buffalo began to lean more heavily on wide receiver <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/06\/01\/khalil-shakir-drops-clues-2024-buffalo-bills-offense\/\" target=\"_self\">Khalil Shakir<\/a> and tight end <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/04\/03\/dalton-kincaid-fantasy-football-outlook-stefon-diggs-trade\/\" target=\"_self\">Dalton Kincaid<\/a>. It was the early signs of a youth movement that saw both Diggs and fellow wideout <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/03\/11\/report-gabriel-davis-signs-contract-with-jacksonville-jaguars\/\" target=\"_self\">Gabe Davis<\/a> leave during the offseason. Davis signed with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/jaguars\/\" target=\"_self\">Jacksonville Jaguars<\/a> as a free agent.<\/p>\n<p>The final sign Diggs&#8217; days with the Bills were numbered came on the eve of his trade to Houston when he replied to a post on X (formerly Twitter) about his importance to Allen&#8217;s success:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Here we go again <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JokrmTEcCu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/JokrmTEcCu<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; LastWordOnNFL (@LastWordOnNFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LastWordOnNFL\/status\/1775344332318359660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 3, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3>Bills, Texans Face Off During 2024 Season<\/h3>\n<p>Discussion about the Diggs-Allen relationship will probably move to the back burner for awhile, but it certainly makes the Week 5 matchup between the Texans and Bills a lot more interesting. Will they interact before the game? After it?<\/p>\n<p>Not to mention the contest itself could ultimately have lasting implications on the AFC playoff race with Buffalo trying to remain a top-tier championship contender and Houston trying to reach that level in the second year of the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/05\/10\/c-j-stroud-started-arms-race-afc-south\/\" target=\"_self\">C.J. Stroud<\/a> era.<\/p>\n<p>In the end, Diggs arrived to the Bills when Allen desperately needed a true No. 1 wide receiver to reach the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks. Now the question is whether he can maintain that status with his longtime favorite target out of the picture.<\/p>\n<p>Main Image: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Stefon Diggs left Buffalo on a sour note, but the Pro Bowl wide receiver says it&#8217;s all love between him and Bills quarterback Josh Allen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5175,"featured_media":176580,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[36,3,14],"tags":[7705,7360,2599,60],"class_list":["post-176399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl-news","category-bills","category-texans","tag-buffalo-bills-news","tag-houston-texans-news","tag-josh-allen","tag-stefon-diggs"],"modified_by":"Drew Crabtree","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176399","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5175"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=176399"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176399\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/176580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=176399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=176399"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=176399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}