The obvious reason for old Buffalo Bills pal Stefon Diggs opting to “sleep with the enemy” by signing with the New England Patriots?
Well, there are – on the surface – 69 million reasons.
But there is a devil in the details and a hidden truth about the “gigantic commitment” that the Pats just made to the controversial star, who was with the Houston Texans last year when an ACL injury ended his 2024 season early.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bills’ division rivals, the New England Patriots, have won the race for Diggs, signing him to a three-year, $69 million deal with $26 million guaranteed.
That is quite the salary for a player coming off an ACL injury, but the Patriots need weapons for Drake Maye, and now they have gotten him one.
But … there is a cause for pause here.
A source tells BillsCentral.com that the “three-year deal” features a contractual escape clause that is a part of this arrangement that allows New England to part ways with Diggs – maybe as early as after just one season.
The deal does include a $26 million guarantee … so all things considered, Diggs cashes in here nicely; we are not under the impression – even amid rumors involving the Dallas Cowboys and the Bills themselves – that there was anybody competing to give Diggs, at age 31, that much locked-in money for one year.
So again, it’s a good payday at $26 million.
But Diggs won’t necessarily ever come close to seeing the $69 million.
What Bills fans can anticipate in 2025? Diggs vs. his former employer, two times, head-to-head, as the rivals go at it inside the AFC East.
The parting a year was messy and dramatic … and even now, as Bills leader QB Josh Allen talks of his “love” for Diggs?
It was time for him to go.
And now, in 2025? It’s time for him to come back … in an enemy uniform.
