Zach Wilson and NY Jets helped ruin Stefon Diggs' relationship with Bills
By Justin Fried
The NY Jets won't have to worry about dealing with Stefon Diggs twice a year anymore after the longtime Buffalo Bills wide receiver was shockingly traded to the Houston Texans this week in a move that took many around the league by surprise.
The Bills were forced to eat the second-largest dead cap hit in NFL history to facilitate the trade, leaving many wondering what happened that forced Diggs out of town. As it turns out, the Jets may have played a role.
Diggs' relationship with the Bills had deteriorated to the point of no return. He didn't see eye to eye with his coaching staff, and he even got into some verbal spats with quarterback Josh Allen.
One of those arguments came following the Jets' miracle Week 1 win over the Bills last season. Following Buffalo's overtime loss to a Zach Wilson-led Jets team, Allen reportedly "snapped" at Diggs in the locker room, per The Athletic's Tim Graham.
"I didn’t know what Stefon Diggs said to him, but Josh Allen snapped at him. 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."
- Tim Graham
Losing to the NY Jets helped contribute to Stefon Diggs' Bills departure
It's unclear exactly what caused the verbal jousting between Allen and Diggs, but it's safe to say that cooler heads likely would've prevailed if the Bills had won that game. Who knows the ripple effect that might've had on Diggs' future in Buffalo?
Tensions were high after Allen tossed three interceptions in his team's loss to a Jets team that was forced to play Wilson at quarterback following Aaron Rodgers' injury. A walk-off punt return touchdown by rookie Xavier Gipson in overtime helped seal a Jets victory.
Diggs seemed to be more frustrated by the loss than Allen, who claimed the defeat was "just one f—ing game." Losing to a Wilson-led Jets team, however, clearly didn't sit well with the All-Pro wide receiver.
Diggs' relationship with the Bills only continued to deteriorate over the course of the season, and it's hard not to look back on that one fateful Week 1 game and wonder what might've transpired had Buffalo pulled out the win.
Alas, we'll never know. Allen, Diggs, and the Bills fell victim to Wilson, Gipson, and the Jets. Less than seven months later, Diggs was shipped out of Buffalo in one of the more shocking trades in recent NFL history.
Stefon Diggs is no longer a member of the Buffalo Bills, and the Jets seem to have played a prominent role in making that happen.