As negotiations for a contract extension continue, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs expressed his desire to stay in purple on Sunday.
In an offseason storyline that has given many fans a panic attack, the contract negotiations between the Minnesota Vikings and wide receiver Stefon Diggs were still ongoing as training camp opened this past weekend.
As the fourth-year receiver enters the final year of his rookie deal, there are many wondering if the Vikings can find a way to lock the emerging star up for good. If there was one thing that can be taken out of Diggs’ press conference on Sunday, it’s that he definitely wants to stay in Minnesota.
"“For me, I want to be here. I love it here, I love being a part of this organization. They took a chance on me early on, so I love it here.”"
One couldn’t blame Diggs if there is a soft spot in his heart for the state of Minnesota. The Vikings selected him as a fifth-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft and they have watched him develop into one of the league’s biggest rising stars coming into this season.
Diggs’ biggest draw to the state may have also come last January, when he caught the Minneapolis Miracle pass from Case Keenum to seal a 29-24 walk-off victory over the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Divisional Round.
“It was something that changed my life,” Diggs said of the play. “That play was definitely huge for me. Right now, (I’ve) been trying to put it in the past for a little bit. Not really the past, but in the back of my head. It was a special moment we will always share, Vikings fans and people around the city.”
With a new-found folk hero status among Viking fans, everybody has been on the edge of their seat waiting for the news of a Diggs extension to drop.
Minnesota Vikings
Things have been complicated recently with the extensions given out to Brandin Cooks (five years, $80 million from the Los Angeles Rams) and Jarvis Landry (five years, $75.5 million from the Cleveland Browns).
“I was extremely happy for them,” Diggs said of the deals. “Seeing guys who grind out in life and get paid, it’s definitely a blessing. I’m happy for every guy that gets paid. For me, I don’t really think of it as far as for me personally, everybody is different. I’m just more so happy for those guys when they pop up on my phone, two claps and keep it going.”
Those deals might have priced Diggs out of reach for the time being and the option to bet on himself and get an even bigger deal next year. By then, he could have his first career 1,000 yard season under his belt and hope to strike it rich in Minneapolis or somewhere else.
Until that happens, Diggs is putting the onus on himself to help the Vikings win football games.
“As far as where we’re at, you kind of got to take it up with the right people,” Diggs said when asked about a potential extension. “I haven’t spent too much time up there, but hopefully we can get some things done. We’ll see how it goes.”