Oct 6, 2023; Watford, United Kingdom; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs speaks during press conference at The Grove Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.
There was more to it that will remain secretive.
That’s the word from former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who currently plays for the Houston Texans. The architect of The Minneapolis Miracle chatted with GQ this week in an intimate interview, speaking rather cryptically about his exit from the Vikings four years ago.
“If I feel targeted or I feel somebody’s saying something that’s wrong, can I say something? Yes. Will I say something? No. For what? I don’t gain nothing from it. None of these people sign any check of mine,” Diggs told GQ.
The Vikings, then led by ex-general manager Rick Spielman, shipped Diggs to Buffalo in 2020 for the draft picks that would later net Justin Jefferson and Camryn Bynum.
Diggs added, “There’s some things that happened in Minnesota that I never shared, that I won’t share. Because I’m a professional. I believe in professionalism. You don’t gotta talk bad about your ex-girlfriend to your new girlfriend.”
In all likelihood, Diggs is referring to Spielman’s or former head coach Mike Zimmer’s treatment. The pairing disintegrated in 2021, leading to their termination and paving the way for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell early in 2022.
In 2019, Diggs grew frustrated with the Vikings’ run-first offense, skipped practice after a loss to the Chicago Bears, was fined $200,000, and later requested a trade from Spielman. Minnesota obliged about six months later.
But then the Bills-Diggs relationship soured last year and this offseason, culminating in another trade, this time from Buffalo to Houston. After four productive seasons in Buffalo — but no Super Bowl triumphs or appearances — Diggs is on the move to another AFC contender. In Houston, he’ll join a filthy-rich offensive team, a part of a weapon stable already including Nico Collins and Tank Dell. Make no mistake: the Texans are loading up for four more years of C.J. Stroud’s rookie contract.
Ironically, Houston acquired Diggs with a Vikings draft pick. Indeed, when the Texans did business with Minnesota in March, they grabbed a 2025 2nd-Rounder from the Vikings, and that pick was directly used to obtain Diggs. So, in an “everything is connected” realm, Houston landed a former Vikings player with a former Vikings draft pick.
Houston also received a 2024 6th-Round pick and a 2025 5th-Round pick in addition to Diggs.
Earlier this offseason, Diggs opened up about his departure from Minnesota four years ago via SI.com, and according to him, the Vikings apparently had questionable intent with the transaction. “Because at that point when I left Minnesota, I was a good player, but I [wanted] more for myself, I felt like I was better than that, that I could be better than that,” Diggs opined.
That portion of his synopsis made sense, but the following theory confounded some. Diggs said, “And up to a point I was like, ‘Shoot, I’m gonna bet on myself.’ And they sent me to Buffalo. I don’t know if they sent me to Buffalo with the kindest intent, but all’s well that ends well. When I got to Buffalo, Josh was my guy. People really understand what it’s like to be out there. He really embraced me, kind of had that Southern hospitality.”
Diggs habitually gets caught up in some type of controversy, and this week was evidently a good time for him to speak mysteriously about his Vikings departure — again.
Diggs’ Texans travel to Indianapolis for a date with the Colts on Sunday.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.