What Would Bills Have to Do to Justify Signing Stefon Diggs?

As of June 29, former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs remains a free agent. This follows his release from the division rival Patriots, with whom he signed a three-year deal last offseason.

While there haven’t been any official reports about either side having interest in a reunion, it’s still something worth visiting. As is the case for all moves, bringing Diggs back to Buffalo would come with its pros and cons — including a legal court case that Diggs is involved in.

After the way Diggs left, a move like this would certainly face backlash from some Bills fans. So, what does the team need to do to justify a potential reunion?

Why Bring Stefon Diggs Back?

In Diggs’ lone season with the Patriots last year, he hauled in 85 catches for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns. While this isn’t the elite production he had a few years ago, it still proves that he has something left in the tank. 

To put these numbers into perspective, in the two years since the Bills traded Diggs, Buffalo hasn’t had a single 1,000-yard receiver. The team did see Josh Allen win the MVP in his first season without Diggs.

A wide receiver room featuring Diggs, D.J. Moore, and Khalil Shakir would take the pressure off young receivers like Keon Coleman and Skyler Bell to step up right away. It’s an opportunity to mix in the veterans and young developing receivers.

If the Bills brought Stefon Diggs back, it wouldn’t be because the team needs a bona fide WR1. 

While he would see a lot of targets, he doesn’t have to be the old version of himself. He just needs to do whatever he’s asked.

Why Shouldn’t the Bills Bring Stefon Diggs Back?

This is likely the area where most Bills fans would fall when presenting the idea of bringing Diggs back.  From 2020-2023, Stefon Diggs was a fan-favorite, but his exit sparked a lot of drama within the organization. Bringing a guy like that back would go against the “everyone eats” mentality the team has been trying to build.

Is adding a bit of talent via a former, controversial player worth risking everything you’ve been building the last two seasons? That’s the question that the Bills would have to ask themselves if they bring back Diggs.

No one will ever know what truly went on behind the scenes, but Diggs’ exit left a sour taste in Bills Mafia. From the outside, it looked like he had everything. A superstar quarterback who would always stick his neck out for him, giving him first-option targets, consistent winning, and a four-year extension.

Leaving these things behind to go to the Texans, where he had to split targets with Nico Collins and Tank Dell, left people all the more confused.

With all this being said, has enough time passed for the front office and Bills fans to forgive Diggs? Most people would answer “no.”

If this is the case, then it’s unlikely he’d ever return to Buffalo.

The Verdict

At the end of the day, Diggs would make the Buffalo Bills a better football team. The question is: Is it time to let bygones be bygones, or should the past be left in the past?

If the team is prepared to bring Diggs back, a few things need to happen. First, they need to be sure that everything he’s involved in off the field is wrapped up.

In May, Diggs was found not guilty of assault and strangulation of a former private chef of his. While the case involving his private chef is settled, he also has an ongoing defamation lawsuit against Christopher Blake Griffith, which has a hearing date set for July.

Once this case is settled, too, then Diggs will likely see more interest from NFL teams. 

The second thing that needs to happen for a Diggs reunion is that Allen needs to give the okay. While Beane is making the decisions about the roster, he can’t leave Allen in the dark on this one.

There’s tough history between Allen and Diggs, and the team needs to be sure that they’re on good enough terms to compete together.

Lastly, the contract needs to be reasonable. The Bills aren’t in a position to be giving anyone a long-term contract, let alone Diggs. If it’s one year, for any kind of money, then they should definitely consider it.

This move would be met with criticism, but there’s always one remedy for drama, and that’s winning.

If the Bills win a Super Bowl because they brought Diggs back, all would be forgiven.