Bills WR Stefon Diggs Skips Start of OTAs, Josh Allen Addresses 'Rift'
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen failed to make a consistent connection with his star receiver to end last season. Another postseason exit was the result.
So when Stefon Diggs didn't show up to Phase 1 of Buffalo's OTAs on Tuesday, he definitely raised a few eyebrows. After all, it was Diggs who grabbed headlines to end the season by waving his arms at Allen in frustration on the sideline before later bolting out of Highmark Stadium after the divisional loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Allen was asked directly if "everything was good" between him and Diggs. The relationship between the star quarterback and receiver is, of course, arguably the most vital one on the team.
But Allen laughed it all off while having some love-filled words for Diggs when speaking to the media on Tuesday. Being "the best receiver in the league" - at least in Allen's rankings - maybe warrants at least one emotional moment in the face of frustration.
“Stef’s gonna Stef,” Allen said. “I love the guy. He's one of my favorite people on this planet. He is so fiery, so competitive. He wants the ball in his hands 24/7 and I’m never gonna not like a guy like that. He wants what’s best for the team.”
A star in the NFL missing the first day of voluntary offseason workouts isn't usually news, but Diggs' outburst caused this absence to feel more significant. But it's clear that the entire team understands and accepts Diggs for who is, especially general manager Brandon Beane.
"I'm an emotional guy too," Beane said. "And if I was losing out there, sometimes I probably think I'd be worse than Steph."
Beane hardly sees Diggs' actions as a distraction since he knows the reason behind it. It's pretty obvious at this point in his career that Diggs wants the Lombari Trophy or nothing.
“You guys have gotten to know him well through his three seasons here and he’s going to wear his emotions on his sleeve,” Beane said. “He’s not going to hide his feelings, and he wants to win. As long as that’s the goal, that it’s about winning and it’s not personal goals, and I know that with him. It’s about winning.”
So that seems to put Diggs' frustration episode in the past. A sideline interaction for the cameras was maybe blown a bit out of proportion externally for a team that was more focused on bouncing back this offseason after the disappointing loss to the Bengals.
He'll definitely have more emotion-filled moments this season and beyond. Just not at OTAs this week.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
Thanks for reading our SI-powered coverage of your Buffalo Bills ... Bills Mafia!
You're a member of Bills Mafia hungry for more Buffalo coverage? Read here.
