Stefon Diggs Absence from Bills OTAs 'A Slight Concern' Says Insider
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The Buffalo Bills will continue with OTAs on Tuesday after Memorial Day Weekend, and there's a good chance that receiver Stefon Diggs will remain absent.
Diggs has yet to show up for a team activity since Buffalo's Divisional Round loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in January, a result that certainly had a noticeable emotional impact on him. He's since cleared the air on his season-ending outburst and remains in position to return to the team this offseason ahead of the second season after signing his four-year, $96 million extension in April 2022.
But it begs an important and obvious question: when does it become a concern if Diggs still isn't here? Josh Allen and Von Miller have made it clear that they aren't worried, and there's no reason to be ... at least not yet.
This question is one that Buffalo News insider Jay Skurski addressed in a recent mailbag, admitting that Diggs' continued absence will begin to be a concern if it leaks into next week.
"Mildly, yes," Skurski wrote when asked if there's reason to worry. "He could put that speculation to bed by showing up to practice."
As Allen, Miller and the rest of the Bills organization has seemingly said, OTAs are completely voluntary and there's no obligation. After all, Diggs didn't show last year either before joining the team for a campaign that saw him post the second-most single-season receiving yards (1,429) in his career.
But this time around feels a bit different, and it's hard to deny it. Is there a slight rift between Diggs and Allen after how last season ended? Does Diggs have any unknown disagreements with the Buffalo coaching staff or front office? All of this remains a mystery.
As one of the team leaders, Diggs has an unspoken expectation to show up for OTAs, especially when a contract dispute is unlikely given his recent extension. Skurski says that all the mild drama could be put to bed by Diggs once he steps back onto that practice field. But for now, it's tough to find a reason to feel 100 percent relaxed about it all.
"If he does so this week, all of this will be forgotten. If not, though, it will, justifiably in my mind, remain a slight concern," Skurski wrote.
The Bills will continue OTAs until June 8 before the start of mandatory minicamp on June 13.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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