Amid free agency, Bills’ wide receiver Stefon Diggs sent out a cryptic 3 words message

Ahead of the 2024 NFL season, the Buffalo Bills are undergoing a significant overhaul. In order to comply with salary cap regulations, they have parted ways with six established players and also bid farewell to several others in free agency.

Despite all the changes, Stefon Diggs, a wide receiver for the Bills team, maintained his silence. He ventured to Paris Fashion Week and is presently occupied with endorsing his new clothing brand named Liem Homme.

Despite rumors of Diggs wanting to leave Buffalo following their playoff elimination, the 30-year-old dispelled them. Nevertheless, upon sharing a cryptic message on X (formerly known as Twitter), Diggs triggered social media frenzy.

“Prepared for anything,” he shared on March 15th.

The message left users online speculating on its intended meaning. It garnered an impressive 9,000 likes as fans eagerly hoped that it hinted at a pending trade to their favored team. However, for devoted Bills Mafia members who are accustomed to Diggs’ enigmatic social media presence, the reaction was more of an eye roll than anything else.

Next season, Diggs may find himself playing alongside a significantly altered receivers room. Gabe Davis recently inked a three-year deal worth $39 million with the Jacksonville Jaguars while Trent Sherfield, who shared an especially close bond with Diggs, signed on for one year at just under $1.8 million with the Minnesota Vikings. Additionally, Deonte Harty was released by the Bills two weeks ago.

Naturally, it’s not just about farewells. On March 14th, the Bills secured a three-year contract worth $24 million with former Washington Commanders receiver Curtis Samuel.

There is no possible scenario where Stefon Diggs leaves Buffalo in 2024, from a financial perspective.

Despite ongoing rumors about a possible Diggs trade, it is highly unlikely due to financial constraints. If the Bills were to cut or trade him before June 1st, they would incur over $31 million in dead cap expenses. However, if done after that date, they could save approximately $20 million towards next year’s salary caps while experiencing more than $20 million of dead money for the NFL season in 2025.

The possibility of a split between the Bills and Diggs looms large, but it is unlikely to occur before 2025. To avoid any potential risks, Joe Buscaglia from The Athletic advised Buffalo against restructuring his contract this season.

According to Buscaglia, Diggs reaching the age of 31 next offseason and agreeing to a restructuring deal means that he will almost certainly remain on the team in 2025 when he turns 32 mid-season. If the Bills were to restructure his contract this year for financial purposes, it would be necessary for them to add approximately $8 million dollars onto Diggs’ existing cap hit of $27.3 million in order for him not be part of their roster following next season.

Just his age is reason enough to hesitate, and if the Bills regress next year, it could lead to a potential internal conflict. Despite that possibility, the Bills may opt for restructuring with Diggs anyway and set their sights on 2026 as an endpoint. However, optimizing their financial standing in 2025 might mean avoiding such action altogether.

Despite being at the pinnacle of his game, Diggs’ contribution in the latter part of this season was reduced. He maintained an impressive record with 107 receptions for a total yardage of 1,183 and eight touchdowns during the regular games but there was a clear setback in his performance which coincided with fewer appearances on the field.

Despite previous speculations about his role, the four-time Pro Bowler dominated in the regular season finale by catching 7-of-8 targets for 87 yards. In addition, he recorded a solid performance of 7-out-of-9 catches for 52 yards during the Wild Card round. However, despite high expectations that Diggs would shine against the Kansas City Chiefs – particularly with Davis sidelined – his efforts ultimately fell short.

Diggs caught only 3 out of the 8 targets thrown his way for a mere total of 21 yards and also had two bungled catches before fumbling against the Chiefs. When asked if he could spare a minute to chat after their defeat, Diggs outright refused by saying “No way” as per The Athletic’s Matthew Fairburn.

The GM of the Bills maintains steadfast dedication to Stefon Diggs as their primary wide receiver.

In his interview with reporters at the end of the season, Brandon Beane emphasized that Diggs remains Josh Allen’s primary receiver. “Stef is undoubtedly a top-tier wideout in my eyes and I am firmly committed to this belief,” stated Beane without hesitation.

“We need to keep deploying weapons so that teams can’t simply double-team or obstruct him in various ways, expecting us to rely on him alone. It’s no secret that he is our go-to guy.”

It’s undeniable that Stef has the ability to play and I have no doubt in my mind he wants another chance at catching a deep ball. His competitive nature drives him to work tirelessly during the offseason. While some may question his production or raise concerns, I firmly believe Stefan is still deserving of being recognized as a top-tier receiver.

Keon Coleman, a Florida State prospect, recently revealed that during his interview at the NFL Scouting Combine a few weeks back, Beane discussed Diggs.

Coleman shared that the Bills inquired about his approach to managing the team without physically being present. They also mentioned Stefon Diggs’ presence on their roster and asked how he would handle it. Coleman responded by expressing enthusiasm for learning from a veteran player like Diggs who has consistently performed well throughout his career.