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Stefon Diggs has been uncharacteristically unproductive for the Buffalo Bills for most of the 2023 NFL season. He hasn't exceeded 100 yards in any of his past 13 games and has failed to score a touchdown in any of his past seven games. He used to be one of the most consistently dominant wide receivers in the NFL, but his role in the Bills' passing has seemingly decreased.
This trend continued when the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Bills in the Divisional Round of the playoffs this year. Diggs recorded just three receptions for 21 yards in the Bills' third playoff loss to the Chiefs in the past four years. He ranked just fourth on the team in receptions and receiving yards in their biggest game of the season.
It's unclear why Stefon Diggs has seen such a dip in his usual production this year, but it apparently has OJ Simpson speculating that something is going on with him and the franchise. He discussed this during a recent episode of the 'It Is What It Is' podcast.
Simpson said:
[05:23] “I don't know what's happening with Diggs and the Bills. I'm sure we're gonna be hearing something pretty soon, but I don't think Diggs was Diggs, you know… When he's on, he's a star and he makes the big plays, and he had a chance to make some big plays. But hey, it just wasn't the Bills day.”
As Simpson pointed out, Diggs had other opportunities during the game to make big plays, but he and Josh Allen couldn't get on the same page. They just missed on a potentially game-changing deep pass that appeared to go right through Diggs' hands. He was also wide open on a third-down play on their final drive of the game that probably would have given the Bills a first down.
Allen instead opted to take a shot into the endzone, but the attempt fell incomplete. They then missed the game-tying field goal on the next play. All of this could potentially push Diggs to see a new team during the offseason, as there have previously been unconfirmed rumors that he is unhappy in Buffalo.
It will be interesting to see how this offseason plays out, especially with his current contract situation.
Stefon Diggs' contract with Bills
The Buffalo Bills locked Stefon Diggs into a five-year contract extension worth $96 million prior to the 2022 season. The deal keeps him under contract with the team until the conclusion of the 2027 season and includes $70 million in guaranteed money.
This creates a difficult situation for the Bills if Diggs were to potentially request to be traded this year. While moving on from him would create $19 million in cap space in 2024, it also hits them with more than $31 million in dead cap money over the next two years.
The bulk of this would be charged as more than $22 million for the 2025 season, though a potential restructuring of his current contract could potentially spread that out a bit. This situation will be one to keep an eye on as the offseason plays itself out.
