Getty Image / Michael Reaves
The Buffalo Bills elected to break up their franchise quarterback, Josh Allen, and his top target, Stefon Diggs, on Wednesday. The former All-Pro was traded to the Houston Texans, with the Bills receiving a 2025 second-round pick originally owned by the Vikings in return.
You’d expect a team to clear that significant of a trade with their franchise quarterback. But, according to Buffalo Bills General Manager Brandon Beane, Josh Allen found out the same time that the general public did!
#Bills GM Brandon Beane said he didn't inform Josh Allen that the Stefon Diggs trade was happening, so he probably woke up to the news this morning.
But Beane said he did alert Allen this offseason that there were inquiries for Diggs, and something could happen. https://t.co/fshNVLtpuv
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 3, 2024
So, while Allen had been told that Diggs could be traded this offseason, this still seems strange. Why would they not clear the move with their most important player and the face of the franchise?
This would only make sense if there was a significant degradation in the relationship between Stefon Diggs and Josh Allen. While Diggs did not have a good second half of the year, he wasn’t doing a ton of pouting, in my opinion. If anything, considering he had a good start to the season, it seemed like he was battling injuries.
On Tuesday, Diggs did claim he was essential to the success of Josh Allen. While that’s definitely true, maybe someone in the organization took that as Diggs demeaning his quarterback.
In four years in Buffalo, Stefon Diggs caught 445 passes for 5372 yards and 37 touchdowns. That’s the most catches and fourth-most yards in the league in that timespan.
Without him, the Bills are pretty thin when it comes to weapons for Josh Allen. The strength is definitely at tight end, where veteran Dawson Knox and second-year man Dalton Kincaid form one of the best tandems in the league. But, With Gabe Davis also having moved on, the top wide receiver left on the roster is Khalil Shakir. It seems likely that Brandon Beane is going to get Josh Allen some weapons before heading into the season.
The Bills have come close in recent years to getting back to the Super Bowl since they made four straight in the early 90’s. But, they have been unable to get past the Chiefs, who have beat them in the playoffs three of the past four years.