The Houston Texans brought in Stefon Diggs this off-season via a trade with his former team, the Buffalo Bills. The Bills sent Diggs, a sixth-round 2024 draft pick, and a fifth-round 2025 pick to the Texans, and the parting ways did come without some rumored drama.
Let us remember that Diggs began his career as a Minnesota Viking, drafted by the team in 2015.
He would make one of the best plays in postseason history with the famous ‘Minneapolis Miracle’ catch that would get the Vikings to the NFC Championship game in early 2018.
Luckily, the wide receiver discussed his exit from the Great White North on an episode of the YouTube series The Shop (formerly on HBO).
Diggs could never understand why he was once considered the Vikings’ WR1 but then felt like he was sharing targets or even playing second fiddle to Adam Thielen.
Diggs said, “They treated me like a No. 1, but at times, they played me small. It was kind of like a mind game, as well, being young and being there — I felt rejoiced because, damn, I need to take my own life into my own hands. It was like rolling the dice. It’s like boxing.”
Diggs apparently wanted his own team where he was WR1 and could be the key playmaker on the field every Sunday. The Vikings didn’t fulfill that for him.
“I love what y’all got going on, but it’s not necessarily the best situation for me,” Diggs summed up about his time as a Viking.
It should also be mentioned that there was no shade thrown Thielen’s way. Diggs was asked how he viewed the guy he shared the field with; he replied, “I love Adam Thielen to death. I love seeing him have success, but for me, I knew I wasn’t going for it.”
What Diggs doesn’t mention in the episode is that he had gotten frustrated with the run-heavy offense the Vikings were using in 2019. He was frustrated enough to skip practice after a loss to the Chicago Bears, a move that cost Diggs a $200,000 fine.
He would then request a trade from the Vikings, and in the off-season, a trade would happen that would send him to Buffalo.
By last off-season, the relationship with the Bills had soured, and thus, the trade to the Texans would occur.
It’s clear that Diggs wants to be the top man on the field for a quarterback to rely on. It’s too early to tell if he found that in Houston with C.J. Stroud, but for now, things look good.
Diggs has been labeled a diva for most of his career, but maybe he just wants the ball and to be the reliable playmaker on the field. If it takes jumping around the league every few years to find that calling, so be it.
Leave a Reply