With the Buffalo Bills' offense struggling on the road in London, Stefon Diggs slammed his tablet to the ground and unleashed his frustration on national TV.
The result is an all-too-familiar sensation for Bills fans, who dealt with the fallout of Diggs' infamous tantrum following Buffalo's postseason loss to Cincinnati in January.
Buffalo quelled concerns after the Cincinnati snafu with a solid training camp and an impressive start to the season. Diggs went for 120 yards and a touchdown on six receptions in Buffalo's 48-20 victory over the Miami Dolphins last week, arguably the most impressive victory of the NFL season all things considered.
As we know, however, the NFL is a week-to-week league, and all it takes is a light breeze for the entire house of cards to tumble. With Diggs' track record of discontent, it's no surprise that national media pundits will latch onto his most recent outburst. Emotion is a positive in sports, but NFL teams would prefer players to keep their composure on the sidelines. A disappointing loss to the Jaguars, coupled with Diggs' public display of displeasure, could fire up the NFL rumor mill.
Diggs is under contract through 2027, with a potential out after the 2024 season. If he ends up on the trade block, several teams will eagerly express interest. These franchises in particular should have a strong desire to add the three-time Pro Bowl wideout.
5. Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers need WR help. Adam Thielen is on the wrong side of 30 and second-round pick Jonathan Mingo is still in the incubation stage. Bryce Young has underwhelmed to start his NFL career and the Panthers' season is quickly falling apart at 0-4, but there's still reason to invest in the No. 1 pick. That means investing in the weapons around him.
It would be quite the boon for the young QB to have a wide receiver as talented as Stefon Diggs at his disposal. Diggs encourages bolder throws and a more aggressive offensive approach. He can transform bad throws into long gains, and he would immediately take over as Young's favorite safety blanket.
Such a trade would relegate Thielen to a more comfortable No. 2 role, not unlike the role he thrived in with Minnesota. Thielen is a monster end zone threat with utility close to the line of scrimmage, but he's not a huge deep threat. Mingo and D.J. Clark have more down-field pop, but nothing remotely approaching Diggs' ability to crack defenses open.
There's a good chance Diggs would show despair at the prospect of joining a losing team, but the Panthers would no doubt target a quick turnaround next season while valuing the experience Young can get under his belt in year one at QB. A Diggs trade could dramatically improve Young's short and long-term outlook.
4. Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears disastrously burned a second-round pick on the Chase Claypool trade last season. With Claypool finally out the door, Chicago could pivot to looking for more effective reinforcements in the pass-catching department. Few fit the bill better than Stefon Diggs, who would form a deadly one-two punch with D.J. Moore.
Justin Fields' performance over the last two weeks has Chicago fans carefully embracing a more optimistic outlook on the future. Fields currently leads the NFL with 11 touchdown passes (to only five INTs) after a productive Thursday night in the nation's capital. He remains a tier-one athlete for the position and while consistency is clearly a point of concern, we know the ceiling is high.
There has been a loud push for the Bears to sell high, and maybe that's the move. It's no secret that Chicago fans have inevitable 2024 No. 1 pick Caleb Williams in their sight. Still, the Bears could be persuaded to lean into Fields' development if he continues his upward trend. Diggs would cost a lot, but the Bears have two juicy first-round picks and enough draft capital to make the Bills think if talks open up.
It has been a struggle at times for the Bears' wideout group this season, but Moore put together a monster three-TD performance on Thursday. With Fields figuring it out and the offense approaching a level of respectability, Diggs could push Chicago into high gear.
It would be more of a multi-year process — which, again, could dissuade the ultra-competitive Diggs — but the Bears have proven their desire to operate aggressively on the trade market. A Diggs trade could actually pay dividends.
3. New York Giants
Offense has been a struggle for the New York Giants, who appear woefully incapable of building on last season's success. The newly extended Daniel Jones has been a victim of constant pressure in the pocket and he is making mistakes at an alarming rate. He has six interceptions and only two touchdowns entering Week 5.
Jones deserves a fair amount of blame, as does the offensive line. Giants OC Mike Kafka can catch some heat too. But, we cannot ignore the toll of New York's subpar receivers room. Tight end Darren Waller leads the team with 15 receptions and 153 yards. Darius Slayton, the nominal WR1, has a thoroughly unimpressive 11 receptions for 132 yards. Neither has a touchdown catch.
If the Giants are going to invest in Jones, they also have to invest in Jones' supporting cast. There simply isn't enough playmaking talent around him, especially with Saquon Barkley's unreliable health in the backfield. Diggs would immediately provide Jones with a dynamic threat who can operate in different areas of the field. Jones' arm talent is without question; we saw the Giants' capacity for explosive plays last season.
Diggs would immediately raise for the floor of a dire Giants offense. New York still has time to turn their season around after an impressive wild card run in 2022, but that time is running short. Diggs would get to stay in the same state (with even brighter lights in the New York market) and he would occupy a clear workhorse role as Jones' favorite option. With defenses keyed in on Diggs, expect more success for Waller, Barkley, and New York's other playmakers to follow.
2. Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens look to be favorites in the AFC North, but the Browns remain within striking distance and there's always a chance the Bengals remember how to play football. The front office invested in Lamar Jackson this summer and then invested in his supporting cast, selecting Zay Flowers with the No. 22 pick in April.
Flowers has been far above average for a rookie receiver, quickly emerging as WR1 on the Baltimore depth chart. He is Jackson's favorite target, a speedy safety blanket with a knack for reeling off big gains after the catch. Still, he's a rookie, and the rest of the WR room is largely uninspiring with Odell Beckham Jr. looking far past his prime.
The Ravens have the tools to contend, and trading for Stefon Diggs would announce their intention to the rest of the league. The combination of Diggs' downfield playmaking talent, Flowers' speedy in-between routes, and Jackson's unmatched athleticism would make the Ravens' offense a fearsome unit. New OC Todd Monken has expressed a desire to let Jackson throw the ball more, but Baltimore still ranks in the bottom third of the league in passing yards. With Diggs in the mix, the Ravens might actually deliver on that promise.
Jackson has become underrated at this point. More than his legs, Jackson has elite arm talent with a genuine capacity for roping bombs up the sideline. He simply doesn't have the weapons to embrace that style of play right now. He would have the perfect weapon with Diggs, whose arrival would better position Flowers, Beckham, and others for success, too.
1. Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs have to remain conscious of their finances after the Chris Jones holdout, but sometimes an opportunity is too good to pass up. If the Bills make Diggs available, the Chiefs should have every intention of gauging the market (even if Buffalo would be hesitant to elevate their primary competition in the AFC).
Diggs is on the shortlist of best receivers in the NFL. Few players blend speed, vertical athleticism, and soft hands the way Diggs does. He checks so many boxes at the position, making him virtually impossible to contain one-on-one. The Chiefs' offense is generally without equal, but the WR group is notoriously poor. The partnership between Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce can paper over a lot of flaws, but the stark lack of reliable playmakers elsewhere stands out when projecting toward the postseason.
One has to imagine Diggs would enjoy playing next to Mahomes, who can make every pass in the book (while inventing a few out-of-book passes in the process). Diggs and Kelce would present an impossible conundrum for defenses; both require multiple bodies and both pose threats at every level.
This would be the ultimate example of the rich getting richer. The Chiefs can't pay everybody for all time, but Diggs is already under contract and there's no reason for ownership to get cheap with the Mahomes dynasty in full swing. Kansas City has a chance to win the Super Bowl every year for the foreseeable future. Diggs would immediately cement Kansas City as favorites in 2024 (and for years to come).
