The New York Giants have been seeking an upgrade at wide receiver this offseason. Despite adding star tight end Darren Waller to the mix, Big Blue could still benefit from adding a premier No. 1 receiver to the offense. Up north in Buffalo, superstar wide receiver Stefon Diggs has seemingly become disgruntled, fueling speculation that he could soon request a trade from the Bills.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott said he is “very concerned” after Diggs skipped the first day of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday morning.
Could the Giants trade for Stefon Diggs?
As NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport explained on The Pat McAfee Show, Diggs “essentially can’t be moved” because of the way his contract is structured. “It’s basically impossible for Stefon Diggs to not be on the Bills this season,” Rapoport said.
While it would be nice to see Diggs reunite with Giants head coach Brian Daboll (formerly the Bills’ offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021), the acquisition is made nearly impossible by the wide receiver’s current contract.
Diggs has a surprisingly affordable $14.8 million cap hit in 2023. However, trading Diggs would severely penalize the Bills financially for several years. Diggs has a $45 million dead cap hit this season, making his contract nearly immovable from Buffalo’s perspective.
The Giants would make sense as a potential landing spot for Diggs if he were to be added to the trade block. The veteran receiver flourished under Daboll’s tutelage, totaling 2,761 yards and 18 touchdowns from scrimmage during their two years together. But the likelihood of Buffalo shipping Diggs away is slim.
Back in April, a string of cryptic tweets indicated that Diggs was eyeing a potential move to the Big Apple. “Come and rescue me,” Diggs tweeted, before interacting with his brother Trevon Diggs’ tweet about potentially facing each other twice per year. Trevon plays cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys. The two could matchup twice per season in the NFC East if Diggs were to be acquired by the Giants.
Diggs was seen yelling at QB Josh Allen on the sideline during the team’s playoff loss to the Bengals. This shocking scene spurred speculation that Diggs could look to depart from Buffalo this offseason.
Despite signing a new contract last offseason, Diggs does not seem to be happy in Buffalo. Unfortunately, he will likely need to put his grievances to the side and get used to the freezing winters of upstate New York. It simply would not make sense for the Bills to move the star receiver with his current contract.