Bills star says his old team traded him to Buffalo to tank his career

Stefon Diggs wanted to be the No. 1 guy. The Minnesota Vikings gave him that chance — in Buffalo.

Since he was traded to the Bills in 2020, Diggs has been one of the NFL’s best receivers. However, during an appearance on “The Shop,” the three-time Pro Bowler said he believes his old team sent him there to tank his career.

“Minnesota sent me to Buffalo not to have the career that I’ve been having. … So for me, I felt like they sent me there for (expletive) not to go well,” Diggs said.

“To die, basically,” said co-host Maverick Carter in response.

“Yeah, in my opinion,” Diggs said.

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Diggs said that he was in a dark place during he end of his run with Minnesota. He said he felt as though the team was prioritizing teammate Adam Thielen over him. In the end, Diggs got the new situation he wanted. But at the time, Buffalo wasn’t considered the prime landing spot it is now — with players like Von Miller choosing to go there to join a contender.

The Bills are currently one of the top teams in the AFC and have been among the favorites to reach the Super Bowl the past couple of seasons. However, the franchise’s perception wasn’t always great. Diggs recalled the time when it appeared that the Pittsburgh Steelers appeared to be trading star receiver Antonio Brown to the Bills. Brown himself commented that the report was “fake news” and was eventually traded to the Raiders.

Such is the way some players felt about Buffalo at the time.

“When people think of Buffalo — I remember when (Brown) almost got traded to Buffalo, he was like, ‘That’s fake news, “ Diggs said. “Now, he really did get traded. He was just like, ‘I and going (expletive).’”

Things have worked out for Diggs in Buffalo. A solid receiver in Minnesota, Diggs has truly broken out with the Bills while playing with Josh Allen. Diggs has been named a Pro Bowler in all three of his seasons in Buffalo, including a 2020 All-Pro campaign where he led the league in receptions (127) and receiving yards (1.535).