ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Perhaps best summed up by a two-word question, Stefon Diggs’ final question to the Bills, whether or not he knew a trade to the Houston Texans was in the works, explained why the erratic receiver’s loyalty to Buffalo was sometimes questioned.
“Are you certain?” Tuesday night, Diggs responded on X to a comment made by someone implying that he wasn’t necessary for quarterback Josh Allen to succeed. After Buffalo agreed to trade Diggs to the Houston Texans on Wednesday, the Bills and everyone else will soon find out how Allen performs without his favorite target.
The second-round pick of the Texans in the 2025 draft, which Houston obtained in a trade with Minnesota, was purchased by the Bills as part of the agreement. Additionally, Houston obtained Buffalo’s sixth-round selection in the current draft.
The Texans bolster their receiver group, which already has Tank Dell and Nico Collins, by adding a seasoned player who has exceeded 1,000 yards receiving in each of his previous six seasons. With 80 receptions for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns in the previous season, Collins led Houston. Under first-year coach DeMeco Ryans and AP Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud, the Texans went from worst to first in the AFC South.
“Are we more improved now? Most likely not. It’s still being worked on. And we will keep working on that,” Beane stated, adding that the season won’t begin for another five months and that his roster is still far from complete.
Was it simple? “Let’s be patient and let us work through this,” he continued. No. But that’s what you do if you decide what’s best for the Bills going ahead. And you have faith in that.
Other than that, Beane declined to elaborate on what exactly led to the decision to part ways with Allen and Diggs, a duo who had rewritten the team’s offensive records during the previous four seasons.
After losing starting receiver Gabe Davis to free agency, Buffalo now has a significant void at receiver to be filled. Khali Shakir, a receiver in his second year, is back.
By eliminating key players to go under the salary cap during the winter, Beane was able to reduce an oversized payroll, but dealing Diggs actually increases Buffalo’s total spending this year by more than $3 million. The upside is that the Bills will not have to pay Diggs his guaranteed contract of $18.5 million in 2024, and there won’t be a salary cap on him in 2025.
Similar to the reasons that prompted the Vikings to trade Diggs to the Bills in March 2020, there were also mounting doubts about whether he had served his time in Buffalo.
Despite being chosen twice as captain, Diggs could not control his annoyance. The most noteworthy incident occurred after the Bills lost to Cincinnati 27–10 in the divisional round of the 2022 playoffs. Diggs departed the locker room before head coach Sean McDermott could address the squad.
Even after teammate Duke Johnson persuaded Diggs to return, the receiver’s resentment persisted throughout the offseason. He created more doubts about his fate by declining to participate in the team’s optional offseason training programs.
Then, when Diggs failed to show up for the Bills’ first required session, confusion ensued, and McDermott expressed his “concernement” about the player’s absence.
After his brother, Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs, posted tweets on X, the official Twitter account, urging Stefon to leave the organization, Diggs reaffirmed his commitment to the Bills in November, stating he intended to retire in Buffalo.
Diggs stated of his teammates at the time, “They’ve never questioned me as a player, and as a man of what I bring to the table.” Therefore, there has never really been any doubt about my complete investment.
Diggs experienced some great times. The most unforgettable occurred when, in January 2022, during a Bengals game, he had to be revived on the field due to a heart arrest. He promptly proceeded to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center to be with Damar Hamlin.
Beane said on Wednesday, “I wouldn’t want to change that for him,” acknowledging Diggs’ competitive attitude. He continued by noting he considered all factors before making the deal.
“Some information, such as the specifics of all the factors that went into a decision, needs to be kept inside the company,” Beane stated. “I believe that you simply need to have faith that this choice was made with the future success of the Bills in mind.”