Josh Allen, the quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, has “a lot of love” in the eyes of wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who recently joined the Houston Texans. The remarks are made in spite of reports that there was unhappiness prior to the deal in April that terminated their four-year collaboration.
For the first time since the historic trade on Tuesday, Diggs made a public statement in which he said Allen elevated him above his previous level during his tenure with the Minnesota Vikings.
Stefon Diggs:
“Josh [Allen] is my guy. He kinda had that southern hospitality. I probably wouldn’t be here with out him. I got a lot of love for that boy. Ya’ll give him a hug and a kiss for me.” pic.twitter.com/R0vEJpDAaC
— Will Kunkel (@WillKunkelFOX) June 4, 2024
“I was a good player when I left Minnesota.” However, I was always more self-centered. I thought I was superior to that. and that I’m capable of more than that. Diggs told reporters, “And kind of up until that point, I was just like, ‘S—, I’m going to roll the dice and bet on myself.” Josh was my guy when I moved to Buffalo, and he still is. The experience of being out there is not well understood by most people. He gave me a genuine hug. We had a great deal of time together, and without him, I doubt I would be here now.
Diggs and Allen Remark Favorably About Their Time Together
Stefon Diggs exchanging some words with Josh Allen on the sideline pic.twitter.com/J2heSTBMrc
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 22, 2023
The 30-year-old University of Maryland alumnus kept praising the quarterback, who assisted him in being named to the NFL First Team All-Pro in 2020.
When questioned about the four-time Pro Bowl receiver, Allen, 28, also played it cool, bringing up a text he had exchanged with Diggs following the deal.
In April, Allen said, “Just thanking him for everything that he did for me.” “I will always hold a special place in my heart for him, treat him like a brother, and send him my best wishes.”
Concerns Between Diggs and Allen Started to Grow in the Past Few Years
Following Buffalo’s 27-10 playoff defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals at the end of the 2022 season, there was more proof that their relationship was beginning to deteriorate off the field. Diggs was captured on camera going on an animated one-sided tirade against the MVP front-runner.
Prior to the 2023 season, the seasoned pass-catcher then skipped a chunk of the Bills offseason schedule. When training camp began, he came back, but it didn’t seem like it took long for the old issues to surface again.
After the #Bills week 1 loss to the #Jets, Josh Allen reportedly snapped at Stefon Diggs in the locker room when Diggs said something to Allen…
“It’s one f*****g game!” Allen told Diggs.
Also in a story written by @ByTimGraham, Stefon Diggs “wore out” the #Bills, some said… pic.twitter.com/eY6S4Uspnl
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) April 5, 2024
Tim Graham of The Athletic revealed in April that Diggs said something to Allen during Buffalo’s defeat to the New York Jets in Week 1 of the previous year, which sparked a harsh response from the signal-caller:
Meanwhile, in the middle of the 2024 season, Diggs’ performance on the field abruptly declined. Here is a summary of the findings:
First 8 games: 6 touchdowns and 748 yards from 64 catches
43 catches for 435 yards and 2 touchdowns in the last 9 games
In January, he also made a crucial drop that proved to be crucial in the team’s 27-24 playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, who went on to win the Super Bowl. He had three catches for 21 yards at the end of the game.
Buffalo started to rely more on Dalton Kincaid, the tight end, and Khalil Shakir, the wide receiver. During the offseason, Diggs and teammate wideout Gabe Davis also left due to early indications of a youth movement. As a free agent, Davis joined the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Here we go again pic.twitter.com/JokrmTEcCu
— LastWordOnNFL (@LastWordOnNFL) April 3, 2024
On the eve of his trade to Houston, Diggs responded to a post on X (previously Twitter) regarding his significance to Allen’s success, which was the last indication that his time with the Bills was running out:
Bills, Texans Face Off During 2024 Season: Talk of the Diggs-Allen romance will likely take a backseat for a while, but it will undoubtedly heighten the excitement around the Texans and Bills’ Week 5 game. Will they converse ahead of the game? Following it?
Not to mention that, with Buffalo attempting to maintain its status as a top-tier championship contender and Houston attempting to do the same in the second season of C.J. Stroud’s tenure, the game itself may have long-term effects on the AFC playoff race.
Ultimately, Diggs joined the Bills at a time when Allen was in dire need of a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver in order to advance to the elite level of NFL quarterbacks. Now that his longtime favorite target is no longer in the picture, the question is whether he can keep that status.