‘Miracle’ Duo Excited for Reunion
Dustin Baker
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In March, the Buffalo Bills found a contingency plan for quarterback Josh Allen with a trade involving the Cleveland Browns.
The Bills sent a 7th-Round draft pick to Cleveland for Case Keenum, a quarterback who led the Minnesota Vikings to the NFC Championship in 2017. And in Buffalo, Keenum will reunite with wideout Stefon Diggs, the player that enabled the NFC title game appearance five years ago.
Of course, if all goes according to plan for Diggs, he’ll never receive a single pass from Keenum, as that will have meant Allen remained healthy in 2022. But both NFC Championship teams from 2017 can opine the importance of a viable QB2, and Buffalo believes Keenum is exactly that for the 2022 team.
Keenum is excited about pairing with Diggs, too. He told BuffaloNews.com this week that it was nice to be wanted — the trade part of his arrival in Buffalo — and Keenum talked about his relationship with Diggs, “We had such a fairy tale year. It wasn’t even a year. It was like six months together, so to be able to get back together with him — heck, I’ve played with almost everybody on the team — every team I’ve been on, I’ve got guys here that I played with. But yeah, to get back with Stef, give him a hug and throw him the ball again, I didn’t really think I would ever do that. I wasn’t sure after that year, so it’s exciting to get to be able to do that.”
Keenum was loved by Vikings fans, mainly because his rise to temporary stardom was unforeseen. In 2017, QB1 Sam Bradford was lost for the season — and essentially his career — to a knee injury, and Keenum took over with little fanfare. Before and after his Vikings stint, Keenum never caught on with a team as a consistent performer.
But inside the 2017 season, Keenum was fantastic, showcasing a playground-like knack for distributing the football, and Diggs, along with Adam Thielen, feasted. The Vikings finished 13-3 in 2017 behind a hellfire defense led by the prime versions of Harrison Smith, Everson Griffen, Xavier Rhodes, Linval Joseph, and others.
Twenty-six months later, neither Keenum nor Diggs would play for the Vikings. Keenum was cut loose immediately after the storybook season as then-head coach Mike Zimmer was never particularly enamored with his style. As for Diggs, he soured on Minnesota’s offense that fancied running the ball over an aerial attack. An unhappy Diggs was traded to Buffalo in 2020, paving the way for the Vikings selection of Justin Jefferson in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Now, both men play for the Bills, a team with the top Vegas odds to win the Super Bowl in 2022. Buffalo has played wonderfully in back-to-back seasons but was nipped by Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in the 2020 and 2021 playoffs. Most pundits believe Buffalo is a whisker away from representing the AFC in February.
Interestingly, the Bills host the Vikings this season in November. The two teams will battle on November 13th, although Keenum is not expected to play.
Dalvin Cook’s brother, James, also plays for the Bills.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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