Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images
Many football fans have accused Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen of having a hand in the team’s decision to trade wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans despite showing no real signs of declining. But going by his own words, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
During his Thursday press conference though, Allen asserted that he has “a spot in my heart” for Diggs and will “always love him like a brother. He lamented that “the nature of the business” led the Bills to trade him.
“I guess that’s the nature of the business,” Allen said, via the team’s social media account. “And going into Year 7 now, it just kind of is what it is. I don’t get paid to make changes on the team, I get paid to be the best quarterback that I can be and try to lead the guys on this team.”
“Yeah, I shared a text with him and got one back, just thanking him for everything that he did for me,” Allen said. “I’ll always have a spot in my heart for him and I’ll always love him like a brother and wish him nothing but the best.”
Allen spoke glowingly about Diggs, pointing out what great numbers he had. But he feels that the Bills’ current crop of skill position players will enable the team to continue to perform well.
“You look at the statistics, they don’t lie — numbers don’t lie,” Allen said of Diggs. “But like I said a few minutes ago, it’s an opportunity for those guys we have in our room, bringing in guys like Curtis [Samuel] and Mack [Hollins] and having Khalil [Shakir] and Dalton [Kincaid] and Dawson [Knox] — guys who have been in the system for a while that know how things go. And within the system, anybody can get the ball at any given time.
“These guys are very excited for that. They’re working extremely hard. It’s good to see those guys here and getting to know some of these younger guys better. And looking forward to getting to know them as best as I can so we can use that on the field.”
As for his “lasting memory” of Diggs, Allen said that he credits him with helping him to become the quarterback he is today.
“My lasting memory of Stef will be the receiver that helped me become the quarterback that I am today,” Allen said. “And I’ll always thank him for that.”
It makes you wonder if Allen could have advocated a little harder on Diggs’ behalf to keep the Bills from trading him if he really feels this way.