Stefon Diggs did not report to veteran mandatory minicamp with the Buffalo Bills, raising eyebrows around the NFL. On the surface, a holdout doesn’t make sense, and there are some concerning signs that a true contract holdout might not be what’s happening.
With a new contract, a team willing to use him, and a working environment favorable to his production, there aren’t many reasons to expect a player in Diggs’ position to stage a protest.
Stefon Diggs’ Contract Is Generous and Has Barely Begun
Diggs recently agreed to a four-year extension worth $96 million, paying an average of $24 million over the span of his extension while providing an immediate influx of new cash in 2022 in the form of a signing bonus.
The extension portion of Diggs’ contract has barely begun; it activated at the beginning of the 2023 league year with a $16 million option bonus arriving in his bank account in mid-March. All in all, Diggs is expected to take home over $24 million in cash this year, with two-thirds of it already activated.
Though New York Jets legend Darrelle Revis made the post-deal holdout a regularity, the modern NFL environment doesn’t support Revis-style holdouts because of the fine structure — players missing mandatory minicamp or training camp are subject to fines in the tens of thousands of dollars.
MORE: NFL Holdouts Tracker (Updated 2023)
On top of that, Revis is not an apt comparison. He would hold out after the first year of his new deal had been executed, not prior to the emergence of a new contract.
In short, a contract-related holdout would be extremely unusual both historically and in this particular moment, where holdouts carry big penalties and the contract in question is favorable and has already paid him out a substantial portion of his expected income.
Stefon Diggs’ Absence May Have Been a Surprise
Diggs missed voluntary team activities with the Bills in April, a notable event that is common enough for veterans that it didn’t bring up much reason to worry. His absence from a mandatory offseason activity is much more concerning, however, and may not be related to his contract.
As Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN reported, head coach Sean McDermott called Diggs’ absence “very concerning,” language not typically reserved for a standard contract holdout and a phrase that might point to something else impacting the situation.
On top of that, Adam Benigni and Vic Carruci of WGRZ Buffalo reported that Diggs was in the facility the day prior for pre-minicamp medical testing — a very strong indication that he initially planned to attend minicamp. In addition, Diggs has been in communication with the head coach and general manager over the past two days, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. His agent indicates that Diggs “will be there for the entirety of minicamp.”
Stefon Diggs’ agent, Adisa Bakari, said his client is in Buffalo, has been in Buffalo since yesterday morning, took his physical, met with the head coach and GM the past two days and the Pro-Bowl WR “will be there for the entirety of the minicamp.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 13, 2023
While it’s very much the case that Diggs cannot be there for the “entirety of minicamp” after missing the first day, his agent’s statement tells us that the expectation is that he will practice with the team and there are no contract issues to resolve.
His agent told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network that “There are things being worked out — on the way to being worked out,” deepening the mystery and further reinforcing the likelihood that there isn’t much in the way of contract holding Diggs back from appearing at minicamp.
There has been some team drama in the background, with Diggs and QB Josh Allen getting involved in a heated exchange during the AFC Championship Game, but there’s been no reporting on the existence of a long-term or serious rift between the receiver and the quarterback.
In reference to Diggs’ absence, Allen put together some strong words about their relationship, adding “I fucking love him. He’s a brother of mine.”
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The QB-WR relationship may have driven part of Diggs’ decision to force himself out of Minnesota in the first place, though his primary stated reason for opting out of the Minnesota Vikings was his usage in the offense.
In Buffalo, Diggs has consistently been among the most targeted receivers in the NFL, finishing No. 1 in receptions his first year there, and has finished in the top three in total targets every year he’s been with the Bills.
Conversations between Diggs and Allen have revealed that the concern has nothing to do with football. Instead, Allen said the situation “is not football-related,” establishing that the concerns don’t have anything to do with Diggs’ perception of his contract or the offense.
All of this suggests that there aren’t clearly identifiable external reasons to drive a Diggs holdout and that any absence from him comes as a surprise to the team and, quite possibly, to his agent. At this level, these kinds of surprises can drive all kinds of speculation.
At the very least, this kind of unexplained absence is worrying.
