Last week began with a bit of drama for the Buffalo Bills and their fan base. As the team kicked off mandatory minicamp, one specific player was absent.
Stefon Diggs was not there, and had reportedly skipped the team's initial practice last week due to non-football related issues. Head coach Sean McDermott had said that he was very concerned about Diggs' absence, but once the wide receiver returned, that the issue was resolved.
Quarterback Josh Allen even hinted at the fact that there was something going on that wasn't football-related, defending his teammate and brother in Diggs, and seeming to have a positive outlook on the issue at hand.
Now a week later, though, a new report suggests that Diggs skipping practice had everything to do with football.
The Boston Globe's Ben Volin wrote:
"Diggs’ frustration is with his role in the offense and his voice in play-calling, per a league source close to the Bills’ locker room. He was visibly agitated at Allen during the 27-10 playoff loss to the Bengals, stormed out of the locker room almost immediately after the game, and didn’t attend any voluntary workouts this offseason."
What should we believe about the issue between the Buffalo Bills and Stefon Diggs?
At this point, the fact that Diggs came back and participated in practice should be the focus. But, it is worth noting that Diggs' possible frustration with the offense can't quite be pinned on the fact that he wants to be more involved.
That would be silly, to be honest.
Last season, Diggs boasted a team-high 27.9 percent target share. That number is absolutely absurd. Over one out of every four passes thrown by Josh Allen went to Diggs. He could not have gotten the ball thrown to him much more than he did.
Yet, it did seem like the Bills went away from Diggs in some of the more crucial moments during a few games. That could be where the frustration stems from. On a grand scale, though, Diggs' involvement has been plenty.
If his gripe is with the play calling or situational football type things, then that's a different issue altogether. Regardless of what exactly the issue is, fans are smarter than that. They understand that this has to be totally, completely, 100 percent about football.
Hopefully, before the season kicks off, the two sides can come to a mutual understanding and truly resolve the issue.