Texans’ receiver, Stefon Diggs, didn’t hold back in his recent interview, trashing his critics while also opening up about the struggles he faced during his time with the Bills last season. In what he described as “the worst mental space” of his career, the talented wideout didn’t shy away from expressing his disappointment and frustration.
Diggs, known for his impressive on-field performances and passionate play, made it clear that he has had enough of the criticism he constantly receives from the media and fans. He lambasted his detractors, challenging them to put themselves in his shoes and truly understand the mental toll that professional sports can take.
“We knew where things were going—I did, at least,” Diggs told Clay Skipper in a recent interview for GQ. “The outside world had so much speculation. I knew, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year to the offseason, exactly what was going on. Not too much confusion on my end.”
The receiver’s lack of surprise at the trade didn’t make the transaction any less momentous. Though coming off a comparatively down year, a down year for Diggs is still an elite season; he finished 13th in the league in receiving yards, reeling in 107 passes for 1,183 yards and eight touchdowns. He still very much figured to be a critical piece of Buffalo’s offense in the immediate future, with this idea combining with his $31 million dead cap hit if the team were to move him to all but assure the 30-year-old’s presence at One Bills Drive through at least the 2024 season.
But the Bills moved him anyway, taking their financial medicine now in a move that general manager Brandon Beane described as “best for [the team].” It was a decision that neither shocked—nor necessarily rattled—Diggs, as he told Skipper that he was unhappy down the stretch of the 2023 campaign.
“Last year, I was in the worst mental space I’ve been in since I’ve been in the league,” Diggs said. “If I’m not in a good space, obviously that’s not the best for me. So that’s when things had to start shaking out.
“None of those teams [Minnesota or Buffalo] wanted to get rid of me. Things had to shake because I kind of wanted them to shake.”
Diggs’ unhappiness was apparent to anyone who tuned into Buffalo’s final games of the 2023 season, as the receiver—who has oft-voiced his desire for a high target volume in the past—was essentially worked out of the team’s offense after Joe Brady took over as interim offensive coordinator midway through the season. From Weeks 1–10, Diggs was targeted 102 times and tallied 868 yards and seven scores; from Week 11 (Brady’s ascension) onwards, he was targeted just 58 times, recording 315 yards and one touchdown.
Though he insisted on taking the blame, Diggs was not all that subtle in attributing his dip in production to the implementation of Brady’s philosophy.
“The games looked a lot different,” he says. “You can blame me. I don’t mind blaming me. I got big-a** shoulders. But pay attention, pay real close attention. Watch the game. Of course there’s plenty of plays I want back. But there’s a lot of plays that didn’t go my way. I need a lot of things to go right to get the ball.
“You can’t roll out of bed and get 800 yards in the first eight games. Your best receiver’s doing that. You tell me about the last 10. What changed? Were there changes going on? I just pay attention to what really happened and not what people try to act like happened. Like, for the last 10 games, I forgot how to f****** play football?”
It’s clear that Stefon Diggs is not one to back down from a fight, whether it’s on or off the field. With his strong words and a renewed focus, Texans fans can expect to see a motivated and determined Diggs ready to prove himself in the upcoming season.
