Packers Among Betting Favorites to Acquire Stefon Diggs
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers’ receiver room is well-stocked – you might even say loaded – with young playmakers. Nonetheless, they shockingly rank among the betting favorites to acquire an elite receiver.
No, it’s not Davante Adams. Rather, it’s Buffalo Bills star Stefon Diggs.
If Diggs does not return to Buffalo for the 2024 season, the Dallas Cowboys at +300 are the favorites at Bet Online to acquire the four-time Pro Bowler. The Packers have the next-shortest odds at +400. That’s an implied probability of 20 percent.
“While the Packers appear to have some young, talented receivers, they don’t have that veteran presence anywhere within their receiving corps (tight ends included),” sportsbook manager Adam Burns explained via e-mail.
“Jordan Love needs that go-to, possession-type receiver who can be counted on to convert those critical third-down opportunities, and we know Stefon Diggs can fill that role on any team.”
The four-time Pro Bowler turned 30 in November. He is coming off a fourth consecutive season of 100-plus receptions, 1,180-plus yards and eight-plus touchdowns. In 2023, he caught 107 passes for 1,183 yards (11.1 average) and eight touchdowns. It was his sixth consecutive year of at least 1,000 receiving yards.
Why would the Bills – a powerhouse Super Bowl contender – want to part ways with a Hall of Fame-caliber receiver? The Bills are almost $60 million over the salary cap.
With a base salary of $18.5 million, Diggs’ cap hit for 2024 is slated to be $27.85 million. He is under contract through the 2027 season.
That contract would seemingly make Green Bay a total afterthought in a potential Diggs trade. The Packers are over the salary cap, as well, though not nearly to the extent as Buffalo.
The Packers also are among the betting contenders to acquire a running back. But first, here are the favorites to land Diggs:
Dallas Cowboys: +300
Green Bay Packers: +400
New Orleans Saints: +600
Kansas City Chiefs: +700
Los Angeles Chargers: +900
Carolina Panthers: +1000
Detroit Lions: +1200
Atlanta Falcons: +1400
Houston Texans: +1400
Chicago Bears: +2000
New York Jets: +2000
As for Adams, if he does not return to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Packers are +4000 to reacquire the three-time All-Pro. The New York Jets, not surprisingly, are huge favorites to reunite Adams with Aaron Rodgers.
Green Bay would seem to have a much bigger need at running back. While Aaron Jones presumably will return, AJ Dillon is headed to free agency. The Packers might want to upgrade that position after Dillon struggled through the 2023 season and the offense didn’t shift into gear until Jones was healthy and Dillon was injured.
At Bet Online, the Packers in the next-team odds for free-agent running backs are:
- +1000 for the Raiders’ Josh Jacobs. Those are the sixth-shortest odds. The Los Angeles Chargers are the favorites at +400.
- +1400 for the Titans’ Derrick Henry. Those are the eighth-shortest odds. The Baltimore Ravens are heavy favorites at +200.
- +1800 for the Giants’ Saquon Barkley. Those are the 11th-shortest odds. The Houston Texans are the favorites at +400, followed by the Chicago Bears at +500.
- +2200 for the Chargers’ Austin Ekeler. Those are the 17th-shortest odds. The Ravens are the favorites at +500.
Also, the Packers are +2500 to trade for the Saints’ Alvin Kamara. The Ravens are the favorites at +300.
