Sep 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs (1) and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) talk after the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
It turned out to be one of the greatest moves in Minnesota Vikings history because Justin Jefferson was the byproduct, and the world now knows why Stefon Diggs left the purple team four years ago.
Diggs wanted his “own team” to lead as WR1 back in 2019-2020, prompting a trade request to then-Vikings general manager Rick Spielman.
The Houston Texans wide receiver said this week on NFL Digest: “They treated me like a No. 1, but at times, they played me small. It was kinda of like a mind game, as well, being young and being there — I felt rejoiced because, damn, I need to take my own life into my own hands. It was like rolling the dice. It’s like boxing.”
Diggs requested a trade during the 2019 season, but Spielman held off on the plea until the 2020 offseason. He ultimately shipped Diggs to Buffalo in 2020 for the draft picks that would later net Justin Jefferson and Camryn Bynum.
“I love what y’all got going on, but it’s not necessarily the best situation for me,” Diggs added about his time in Minnesota.
Adam Thielen served as Diggs’ running mate during that era of Vikings football, and although Diggs adored Thielen, he evidently didn’t think the two could share a target load. Diggs wanted to run the show at WR1 elsewhere.
Diggs concluded, “I love Adam Thielen to death. I love seeing him have success, but for me, I knew I wasn’t going for it.”
In 2019, Diggs grew allegedly 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.
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.
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 year, 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.”
Last month, Diggs also granted a tell-all interview to GQ, during which he claimed something went bad in Minnesota. “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,” he said.
So, if you’re keeping score at home, Diggs has secrets about dealings in Minnesota and wanted to be a WR1 in 2020 and beyond, loves Adam Thielen, and now plays for the Texans.
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.