Was Diggs a Bad Teammate?
K. Joudry
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I can genuinely say I’m not bitter about how things went down between the Minnesota Vikings and Stefon Diggs. Why would I be? Minnesota got much-needed cap relief, Justin Jefferson, and several other picks. Buffalo got an elite WR. Both sides won the deal, a rare occurrence. I think we (and by “we” I mean both Vikings and Bills fans) ought to be happy.
Recently, Diggs has been back in the purple headlines due to an admission of being a bad teammate in Minnesota prior to his trade: “It wasn’t until I wanted to do something else is when I became a bad teammate. So as far as when things are going good, it’s all good until it’s not good. So for me, even then, I always tried to play with a chip on my shoulder and lead my team the best way I know how. Coming here I had a fresh start. It was fair for people to make their assumptions or their assessments from the outside looking in. That’s fair. I just look at it as, when I get there I’ll show them who I am and we’ll go from there. As far as my new chapter with my new team, things are going pretty good.”
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In his first year with Buffalo, Diggs put up massive numbers: 127 catches, 1535 yards, and 8 TDs. If you told me he is the best route runner in the NFL, I’d have a hard time disagreeing. He’s sensational. There’s a reason the once-inaccurate Josh Allen suddenly became one of the game’s best QBs last season. Sure, he probably deserves some credit for his own progress and hard work, but it’s no coincidence that his ascension coincides with Diggs’ arrival. He makes his QB look good.
When he was in Minnesota, Diggs was similarly sensational. Through his five years with the Vikes, Diggs accumulated 365 catches, 4623 yards, and 30 TDs. Keep in mind that he entered the league as a fifth rounder. No one – not even our Vikings – expected him to be as good as he is. If they did, they’d have chosen him in the top 10.
He also provided us with one of the all-time great moments in our team’s history:
So, was Diggs a bad teammate? The impression I have is that he was a great teammate the vast majority of his time in Minnesota. If he says that ended once he was looking to leave, then I’ll take him at his word.
The only thing I’ll add is that it doesn’t matter all that much. In time, we’ll simply celebrate Diggs for giving us several great seasons and one of the greatest moments in our franchise’s history.
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– Minnesota in The Memes: Commiserating Together, Week 1 Edition
– A Couple Positives for the Vikings Moving Forward