The Buffalo Bills suddenly snapped and traded Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans in one of the most shocking moves of the NFL offseason. Oddly enough, the Bills didn’t receive any immediate contributors or draft compensation that can impact the win column in 2024. Instead, they received a 2025 second-round pick for one of the best receivers in the NFL; it’s an odd move for a team trying to contend.
Yet, the Bills were clearly eager to remove Diggs from their locker room, possibly because he became a problem as former Vikings GM Rick Spielman suggested. Now we’re learning more about the specific incidents that caused the Bills to trade their star receiver to the Texans.
The game in question came in Buffalo’s season opener after coming up short in the AFC Divisional Round against the Cincinnati Bengals during their previous playoff run. Of course Diggs had hopes of starting out the 2023 season strongly, and when Aaron Rodgers was lost for the game after just four snaps, the Bills should have been able to take advantage.
Instead, the Bills lost 22-16, with Allen throwing three interceptions and one touchdown as Diggs caught 10 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. Yet, the Bills went on a three-game win streak after the Jets loss with Diggs tacking on 297 yards and three touchdowns in that span. Whatever argument the star tandem had seemed to be worked out pretty quickly, judging by their results on the field, but that doesn’t mean some damage wasn’t already done.
On Wednesday, the Bills moved on from receiver Stefon Diggs. It seemed to be coming, the result of an accumulation of little things that made it hard for Buffalo to justify continuing the relationship.
There was one fairly big thing that happened in Week 1 of the 2023 season. Tim Graham, who covers the Bills for TheAthletic.com, mentioned on his podcast an incident between Allen and Diggs after the season-opening loss to the Jets, who lost quarterback Aaron Rodgers after only four plays.
Per Graham, Diggs approached Allen in the locker room, and Allen didn’t react well to whatever Diggs said.
“I didn’t know what Stefon Diggs said to him, but Josh Allen snapped at him,” Graham said, via LarryBrownSports.com. “He said, ‘It’s one f—ing game!’ and kind of motioned like I’m not talking to you here. And Diggs walked away and Josh sat there. In retrospect, keeping in mind this was Week 1 when for all we know everyone is hunky dory, but looking back on it I wish I would have included that in my story or made some sort of reference to it. Maybe Stefon Diggs was saying something nice to him, but [Allen] didn’t snap at anybody else.”
Chances are Allen didn’t snap without a reason. He doesn’t seem to be that way. Maybe he was on edge after throwing three interceptions and losing in prime time to Zach Wilson. Or maybe Diggs made a comment that pushed his buttons.
By trading Diggs, the Bills are trying to reshape the team around Allen during the remaining years of his prime. They want no impediments to his ability to lead. They want none of the minor issues from Diggs that eventually became a big enough deal to trade him
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