Bills Coach Sean McDermott Clears Air on Stefon Diggs 'Very Concerned' Comments
Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott caused a major ripple on Tuesday when he said that Stefon Diggs' absence from the first day of mandatory minicamp had him "very concerned." The star receiver being no where to be found after also skipping out on voluntary OTAs certainly raised some eyebrows, but McDermott's comments took this to a new level.
But on Wednesday, the head coach (somewhat) clarified what he meant as Diggs made a return to the practice field with his teammates for the first time this offseason.
Has the "internal" issue been resolved?
"I feel like it's resolved," McDermott said.
McDermott was also questioned by reporters for his "concerned" word choice, which he explained.
"Whenever a player has something going on or misses for some reason, I am concerned," he said. "That's my sentiment with any player, in particular a player as important to us as Stef. And so I get concerned when players miss for reasons off the field for reasons on the field, whether it be their injured or whatever it is.
"That's just how I am. So when I say very concerned, I'm very concerned because of the situation with one of our players and it was something that we needed to work through."
While McDermott's energy about the situation felt different than the level of uncertainty he showed on Tuesday, there still remains more questions than answers. But he at least provided some clarity on why Diggs was absent, which is likely the most we'll receive from him on the matter as of now.
"Let me be clear, Stef did everything that he was asked to do," McDermott said. "He was here Monday and executed his physical on time. Stef reported Tuesday, and reported for meetings, at which time we had a good conversation."
Bills linebacker Von Miller emphasized on Tuesday that the Diggs situation was "not that serious." And when McDermott went more into detail about why the star receiver wasn't at practice, it's understandable to see why Miller felt this way, though there's clearly much that's left unsaid.
"Great communication, and we got to a point yesterday where we just felt like we all needed a break and some space, and so I gave Stef permission to get some space and head out and and then picked up those conversations after practice."
An organization that prides itself on having one of the best cultures in the NFL will look to move past this whole ordeal before training camp begins. The Bills cancelled the final session of mandatory minicamp on Thursday.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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