How Stefon Diggs almost helped Tom Brady stay in New England
By Adam Patrick
Looking back at his career with the Minnesota Vikings, no one should really be surprised with the amount of success experienced by Stefon Diggs during his first season with the Buffalo Bills.
Diggs always put up impressive numbers during his time with the Vikings. But in 2020, with the Bills, the talented wide receiver saw his level of play rise much higher.
During the 2020 regular season, Diggs led the NFL with 127 catches and 1,535 receiving yards. He also earned a First-Team All-Pro selection for the first time in his pro career.
Former Minnesota Vikings receiver almost landed with the New England Patriots
Of course, Diggs spending the 2020 season in Buffalo resulted from Minnesota’s decision to trade the wide receiver to the Bills last March. Apparently, Diggs almost ended up with a different team in the AFC East.
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport on Sunday, the New England Patriots were also very much in play to acquire Diggs from the Vikings. Where the former Minnesota receiver was going to be sent reportedly came down to the Patriots and Bills.
Following Buffalo’s final compensation offer for Diggs, the Vikings even called New England to see if they wanted to “match or improve the offer,” according to Rapoport. But the Patriots weren’t comfortable with giving up the amount of assets for the receiver that the Bills had put on the table, so they decided to pass.
Imagine how drastically different the NFL would’ve looked if Minnesota had actually traded Diggs to New England instead of Buffalo.
With a new weapon to throw to, maybe Tom Brady remains with the Patriots for the 2020 season? Does Bills quarterback Josh Allen make the same gigantic steps in his progression this year without Diggs on the team’s roster?
Looking back at the deal, it’s clear it had a much bigger impact on the league as a whole and not just the Vikings and Bills. Without the trade happening, Buffalo and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers probably aren’t playing in their respective conference championships like they are on Sunday.