Stefon Diggs became a primary topic of conversation for the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Texans on Thursday as both teams addressed the blockbuster trade from earlier this month which sent the All-Pro wide receiver to the reigning AFC South champions.
Bills coach Sean McDermott emphasized the decision to trade Diggs to Houston wasn’t taken lightly and “you never replace a player like Stef Diggs.” At around the same time Thursday, Texans general manager Nick Caserio spoke about doing their homework on Diggs and that every decision made was in the best interest of the franchise.
The Bills sent Diggs to the Texans in exchange for a 2025 second-round pick (via the Minnesota Vikings). The Texans also received a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick.
“It’s hard right? Stef’s a great player,” McDermott said in a Thursday news conference. “Really enjoyed our time together. Won a lot of games. He was a huge factor in winning those games. We’ll miss him. You never replace a player like Stef Diggs. We wish him well, Stef and his family. Hard to move on from a player like that and now we go back to looking at our roster and excited for the opportunity that we have in that room for guys to step up.”
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Buffalo has undertaken quite the shift at wide receiver this offseason, trading Diggs to the Texans and letting No. 2 wideout Gabe Davis walk in free agency. Moving Diggs, though, was one of the most eye-popping moves of the entire NFL offseason.
McDermott said those moves are sometimes the reality of the NFL and balancing a salary cap.
“Those are tough decisions,” he said. “You never replace people like that, players like that. No two players or people are the same. But again, it’s an opportunity for people to take on new roles.”
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Bills quarterback Josh Allen said his lasting memory of four seasons with Diggs would be that he’s the receiver that helped him become the quarterback he is today.
“I shared a text with him and got one back,” Allen said about interacting with Diggs following the trade. “I thanked him for everything he did for me. Always have a spot in my heart for him and always love that guy like a brother and wish him nothing but the best.”
When asked about talking with Allen prior to the Diggs trade, McDermott said, “You always have conversations, sometimes multiple conversations and you communicate multiple times and you collaborate. This was a big decision — one we didn’t take lightly. … Just trying to do what’s best for the team both in the near term and the long term.”
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On the Texans’ side, adding a top-flight receiver to work with budding star quarterback C.J. Stroud played a role in bringing the 30-year-old pass catcher to Houston. But with that comes some risk.
The Texans agreed to knock off years on Diggs’ original contract from the Bills as he’ll play the 2024 season on a one-year deal, making him a free agent after the season. Houston took $3.5 million guaranteed to Diggs for the 2025 season and moved it up into this season, giving him a raise and assuring him of $22.52 million in guaranteed money in 2024.
Caserio said he spoke to Diggs’ representation about the reworked deal and that you make the decision that was in the best interest of the team. “That’s why we ended up where we are,” Caserio said.
The Texans general manager said he sought intel from several voices throughout the trade process. He expressed confidence that Diggs will be a valuable addition to the locker room.
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“We’re worried about what a player does when he walks in our building. We do our research. … Candidly, I think it’s unfair to label anybody until they actually have a chance to walk into the building.”
In terms of on-field chemistry, Caserio pointed to Diggs’ resume as a starting point.
“Our system may be a little bit different than he was in in Buffalo, but he was as productive as any player in the league,” Caserio said. “So there might be some things that they were doing that are similar to what he was doing in Minnesota. (But Diggs is) A good football player who can help us. That’s why he’s here.”
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