A couple weeks removed from another devastating playoff loss, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs took time at this week's Pro Bowl Games to reflect on what was a tough season for him, and look ahead to what could be coming in his future.
Though he finished the year with 107 catches for 1,183 yards, it still was Diggs' worst statistical season since coming to Buffalo in 2020, and he especially struggled down the stretch, failing to record a 100-plus yard game after Week 6 and averaging only 48.9 yards per game in his final 13 contests, including the postseason.
That culminated in the Bills' third playoff loss to the Chiefs in the last four years, with Diggs' performance being defined by just 21 receiving yards and a crucial dropped catch late in the game that could have decided the game.
"Like I said, that's one of the plays I want back. I count that, if I touch it, I drop it. If I get one hand or a finger on it, I count it," Diggs said in an interview with NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe on Friday. "Just this season in its total, rolling with the punches, first eight games and the last eight games, or nine games, or ten games, however you dice it, it just was a different picture. And it's something I had to get adjusted to as a teammate, just rolling with the punches, being the best teammate you can be, best player you can be, and keep growing from it."
Even before the season started, Diggs was the center of significant media attention for tension off the field. He was seen expressing his frustrations at Bills quarterback Josh Allen in the final moments of the team's Divisional Round playoff loss to the Bengals last January, and then created concern when he did not participate in the first day of mandatory minicamp.
Though Allen and head coach Sean McDermott later said the camp situation was overblown, rumors have remained about Diggs' satisfaction with the organization and his relationship with Allen, the latter of which he was asked about Friday.
"Kind of at this point I let everybody feel how they feel. You've got your opinions, it's not an opinion-based business, it's a money-based business, and a numbers-based business, so for me, I try to leave the personal out of it," Diggs said. "My personal relationships are my personal relationships. It's for the people outside of my relationship to speculate or figure it out as they go, but the people that's involved, between the two people or anyone else involved, are the people that know.
"I mean, I get tired of the same story over and over. It is what it is for everybody else."
Diggs had made it clear that he's ready to move on from a rough year, looking toward what lies ahead. Unfortunately, his future with the Bills is not as clear-cut as it could be.
Buffalo is currently estimated to be over $50 million over the cap in 2024, third-least space in the league, per Over the Cap.
Diggs signed a four-year, $96 million extension ahead of the 2022 season, and as he enters Year 3 of the deal, there has been speculation about whether his high-value contract could be up for restructuring or if there will be other measures taken in the Bills' endeavors to get out of the red.
What this means for Diggs' future in Buffalo is uncertain, and when asked about it Diggs didn't express complete confidence that the path forward has him wearing a Bills jersey.
"I don't know, I feel like you talk about with the money and all that type of stuff, I can't control none of that," he said. "I kinda just put my hat on and like I said it's a long offseason in front of me. As far as what the future holds, shoot, I don't have any surprises for you right now."
Diggs is right that it's a long offseason ahead, and he and Bills fans alike will have to wait and see how things play out in the wake of yet another frustrating season in Buffalo.
