Bills receiver Stefon Diggs says any lingering concerns are water under the bridge

PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — Reiterating his desire to retire as a member of the Buffalo Bills, Stefon Diggs was largely reassuring but short on specifics over any lingering concerns from last season, saying he and the team were back on the same page as training camp opened Wednesday.

Diggs said whatever offseason drama occurred when the Bills' top receiving threat skipped voluntary spring practices and posted cryptic messages on social media about his future in Buffalo was aired out last month during a meeting with coach Sean McDermott.

Without going into detail, he said he was pleased simply to raise his concerns, which stemmed from frustrations over how the three-time defending AFC East champions’ season ended with yet another playoff dud.

“Everything that needed to be said was said, and we talked it out as men. Everybody involved,” Diggs said. “It’s all water under the bridge and now we’re back to work.”

Diggs referred to the issues as “family matters,” which he preferred keeping in-house, and said he was focused on winning a Super Bowl entering his ninth NFL season and fourth in Buffalo.

He was sometimes combative and almost always playful while holding his first news conference since Dec. 21.

“Like, I know you all haven’t spent too much time with me this offseason and I missed you guys, too,” he said, referring to reporters. “But all is well in the (Bills) Mafia House.”

His run of silence began with a late-season stretch in which his production began to drop. It carried over through the Bills being left shaken after watching safety Damar Hamlin go into cardiac arrest during a game in Cincinnati on Jan. 2.

He declined to make himself available to reporters following a 27-10 loss to Cincinnati in the AFC divisional playoff round and a day later when players gathered to clear out their lockers. Diggs was so upset over the loss that he left the locker room before McDermott had a chance to address the team and had to be coaxed to return by running back Duke Johnson.

“It’s human to be frustrated at the end of the day. I got frustrated, but after it was done, it was done,” Diggs said.

Questions regarding Diggs came to a head last month when McDermott spurred confusion by saying initially he was concerned by the receiver not attending the team’s first mandatory practice. The coach clarified his comment a day later by saying Diggs was excused from participating.

“We’re in a good spot and Stef is ready to practice,” McDermott said Wednesday.

General manager Brandon Beane said he never had any concerns over Diggs this offseason, understanding the player’s frustrations stemmed from his desire to win.

“Love Stef. He’s a competitor and I find myself as very competitive, too,” Beane said. “Listen, I was frustrated, too.”

Diggs' friendship with Josh Allen hasn’t wavered — “That’s always going to be my guy. So yeah, we’re fine,” he said — even though he disagreed with the quarterback suggesting last month that Diggs wanted more say in the offense.

“Dude, that’s insane,” Diggs said. “I couldn’t call a play to save my life.”

Diggs said he has the utmost respect for McDermott, and he credited offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey with helping the Bills finish 13-3 in his first year on the job.

He took issue with critics who suggested he was reverting to the mercurial player who had moody outbursts during his first five seasons with Minnesota before being traded to Buffalo in 2020.

“It’s easy to say it’s the same thing, but what is the same?” Diggs said. “I’ve been a captain for three years, tell me what’s repeating itself.”

The only similarities between the two teams, he said, is falling short of reaching the Super Bowl. The Bills lost the AFC championship game to Kansas City two years ago, and the 2017 Vikings lost to Philadelphia in the NFC championship game.

“That’s where some of the frustration could come from,” Diggs said, noting that at 29, he’s running out of chances. “Obviously, I want to take those next steps and get in there.”

NOTES: McDermott reiterated Hamlin is cleared for contact once the Bills begin practicing in full pads by this weekend. ... Beane didn’t rule out edge rusher Von Miller from missing the start of the season while rehabbing his surgically repaired right knee. ... Beane also didn’t have a timetable on when defensive tackle Jordan Phillips would be cleared for practice while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.

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