Family.
That’s the word Stefon Diggs continued to use when asked why it was important for him to sign a contract extension with the Buffalo Bills.
“For me, it was more that family,” Diggs told reporters Thursday just after signing his new four-year contract extension. “That family oriented… from the top to the bottom, Kim and Terry [Pegula], and the coaching staff, how they’re brought up, how we’re developed, how our conversations are and the relationships that I’ve built in such a short span of time.”
Diggs still had two years remaining on his current deal that was signed in 2018 while he was with the Minnesota Vikings. He was traded to the Bills prior to the 2020 season, just before the COVID-19 pandemic caused the league to implement protocols for teams and players, essentially keeping them isolated inside their facilities.
“Prior to this I felt like we cheated a little bit because we had that COVID year, and we had no choice but to be around the team. I felt like it benefited me in a way,” Diggs said. “I built relationships with guys that typically you don’t build on football teams. Yeah, you’re cool with a guy or like you’re friends, but you kind of build that family, because you’re with them every day. That’s the only people you see on a consistent basis. So for me, spending that time I feel like that was a sign from God. He put me in the right place at the right time, and it all worked out.”
Diggs' first season in Buffalo in 2020 saw him lead the league in both receptions and yards. Then last year, he finished in the top-10 in both receptions (103) and yards (1,225), and surpassed his 2020 touchdown total going from eight to 10, which was tied for sixth-most in the league.
He explained that a lot of people didn’t believe he’d be able to hit those types of lofty numbers with the Bills.
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“When I first got traded to Buffalo, besides the 'Mafia' and people that are fans of Buffalo, not too many people thought it was going to work out,” Diggs said. “Now I can smile and say, ‘God works in mysterious ways.’ I’m with my family and I’m with the right people, and I’ve got the right support system.”
Contract details weren't disclosed publicly, but factoring in the two years still remaining on his current contract, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported Wednesday it makes it a six-year, $124.1 million contract. That results in just over $20 million per-year for the next six years that Diggs will be under contract with the Bills.
When the deal expires after the 2027 season, Diggs will be 34-years-old.
“To me, my family, my support system, my agent, it was something that we talked about prior to me even coming here,” Diggs said about possibly finishing his career in Buffalo. “I felt like my next spot was my last spot. I wanted it to be my home, and I didn’t want to ever go anywhere. So anticipating that, it was important to me, especially in the first year and that second year, you just felt like you were kind of building that family. It’s hard to do that when you have a job and you’re trying to stay professional. But you get those relationships, like the one I have with Josh [Allen] and the other guys on the team. It’s just like it’s starting to feel a lot like home. You don’t want to leave it, so to be somewhat engraved for a good period of time, I’m forever appreciative.”
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