Let the nailbiting begin: Stefon Diggs is not at Bills minicamp.
Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott confirmed the receiver's absence on Tuesday, telling reporters he is "very concerned" by Diggs' decision to skip the mandatory gathering.
"I'm not gonna get into it," McDermott said. "Look, I respect everyone's questions and what they want to know about our team. Right now, I'm just not gonna get into that anymore."
Diggs was present at the Bills facility on Monday and Tuesday morning, but he left prior to the start of Tuesday's minicamp practice, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport later reported. Diggs' agent, Adisa Bakari later said in a statement that he did not "know why [McDermott] said what he said today."
"There are things being worked out -- on the way to being worked out," Bakari said, per NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero. "Stefon has been there (since) Sunday night. He was in the building this morning."
Diggs is subject to fines for each practice he misses during this week's mandatory camp.
It's not uncommon for some players to decline to attend minicamp, both in excused and unexcused fashion, but Diggs' decision to miss Tuesday's practice doesn't quite fit the typical categories. Diggs is in Year 2 of a $96 million extension, and he's the clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver in Buffalo.
The question, then, is why isn't Diggs at minicamp?
Well, there isn't much clarity.
"[It is] an in-house situation that they're on the way to resolving," Rapoport said Tuesday on Inside Minicamps on NFL+ based off his conversation with Diggs' agent. "Sounded optimistic that the situation will be resolved. Does sound like that is why this whole situation has occurred because of this as yet unspecified in-house issue."
Rapoport added Diggs' problem with the Bills isn't related to his contract, which is good news for Buffalo, a team that has less than $6 million in available cap space. If it isn't money, then, all that's left to explore is Buffalo's inability to fulfill its hopes of reaching or winning a Super Bowl.
Diggs' outsized role has placed a large amount of responsibility to produce on his shoulders, and seeing as the Bills haven't yet won a title, that isn't enough. Diggs hasn't hidden his frustration with Buffalo's repeated failures to get past other AFC titans (Kansas City and Cincinnati, owners of the last three AFC Championships, have eliminated Buffalo in each of the last three postseasons). The star receiver let his emotions show in his reactions and social media activity after Buffalo's most recent postseason defeat, and was still upset two months later, saying, "It doesn't make sense. I'll rack my brain with this s--- at this point," during an appearance on HBO's The Shop.
With little clarity available on the source of Diggs' frustration, we're left only to speculate on why he's staying away from the Bills, who maintain high hopes with a team led by Madden NFL 24 cover star Josh Allen. Judging by Diggs' June conduct, he isn't fully on board with the direction in which the Bills are proceeding, but his quarterback is backing him.
“Internally, we’re working on some things, not football-related -- but Stef, he’s my guy, I f------ love him,” Bills quarterback Josh Allen said on Tuesday, via WIVB.com's Adam Gorski. “We wish he was in here today and was out there on the field with us, but that’s not the case. I’ve got his back no matter what, I’ve got no doubts we will figure out what’s going on.”
Buffalo's passing offense has disproportionately depended on Diggs since his arrival, and although No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis posted a career-high 836 receiving yards in 2022, Diggs is operating in a class of his own with the Bills. He could certainly use some help; adding free-agent receiver DeAndre Hopkins wouldn't hurt, although Hopkins has yet to schedule a visit to the Bills.
Diggs didn't receive much help at the position this offseason, but Buffalo did add Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid in the 2023 draft, giving them more personnel flexibility and another pass-catching option in a group that is headlined by Diggs and includes Davis and tight end Dawson Knox.
As Rapoport and Pelissero reported, the two parties are working things out. This could end up being nothing more than a bump in the road. For now, though, it is noteworthy and will continue to be so until the matter is resolved.