PALM BEACH, Fla. – The market for marquee wide receivers has exploded recently in the NFL.
After blockbuster trades of Davante Adams to the Raiders and Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins, the cost for a No. 1 wideout has gone through the roof. Adams received a five-year deal worth up to $140 million with more than $65 million guaranteed after being acquired from Green Bay, while Hill’s move from Kansas City to Miami came with a new, four-year contract worth up to $120 million, including $72.2 million guaranteed.
Those deals have understandably brought into focus the future for Bills receiver Stefon Diggs in Buffalo. Diggs has two years remaining on a five-year contract extension he signed with Minnesota in 2018. Although he’s scheduled to count $17.917 million and $18.006 million against the salary cap in those years, his take-home pay is scheduled to be $13.56 million and $13.65 million in 2022 and 2023.
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That begs the question … how soon is he going to want a reworked deal?
“We've had open dialogue since the season ended,” Bills General Manager Brandon Beane said Monday at the NFL owners meetings. "Stef and I have talked a couple times, and he's got a really good agent (Adisa Bakari) who I've dealt with before, who had Tyrod (Taylor). We've been very open and honest with each other. I don't talk about negotiations. As I said a couple week ago, and I've always said back to Josh’s Allen’s contract or somebody else's, contracts get done when they're supposed to get done. If something gets done at some point this offseason, we'd let you know. Beyond that, I really wouldn't get into it.”
The longer that remains the case, however, the more the storyline figures to grow. Diggs’ recent activity on social media, including a tweet that said “It’s always business … never personal,” only reinforces that idea.
“Listen, it won't be a storyline for us,” Beane said. “I know the media has to talk about it, the social media world we're in. Every time a player gets a new deal somebody tweets something funny and you’ve got to read into it. Whatever it is, that's just part of the world we're in. But I've got a great relationship with Stef, and he knows if there's ever a concern to call me directly and I'll do the same.”
Diggs has 230 catches in two seasons with the Bills, which ranks third in the NFL over that time. His 2,760 receiving yards ranks fourth. In 2020, his first year with the team after coming over from Minnesota in a trade, Diggs led the NFL in both catches (127) and receiving yards (1,535).
“Stef has done a phenomenal job of changing the culture, or helping change the culture,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “His competitive nature, his ability to put the team first at a position that is not always known for that – I think goes a long way in our locker room and us, in terms of the team that we’ve become. I think he’s got a great dynamic with Josh on and off the field, and a lot of the other players in our locker room, as well. He works extremely hard at it, and the results are out there."
Diggs’ average annual value of $14.4 million now ranks 21st at the receiver position in the NFL.
“Everybody wants to be compensated. Everybody wants their respect, and that's what I want to do,” Beane said. “I want to give all players their respect and a fair pay, whoever it is, and Stef's no different. We'll look at that. We'll look at his (contract), we'll look at others.
There's a cap, we have to make it all fit and make it work. I would love to write ’em all a check for exactly what I think they're worth or what they did, but sometimes you have to make tough decisions with various players. But no, I mean, again, I think the world of Stef, I think what he's brought our team has been great. He's been great for Josh. He's been great for our offense and his leadership has stepped up, and we want to see Stef in Buffalo for years to come.”
