Bills Coach Sean McDermott Does His Best to Play Down Friction With Stefon Diggs
Bills coach Sean McDermott played down the drama between Stefon Diggs and the team on Wednesday after he said he was “very concerned” that the star wide receiver wasn’t there for practice during Tuesday’s mandatory minicamp.
“There’s a lot things out there that aren’t accurate,” McDermott told reporters Wednesday. “Let me be clear—Stef did everything he was asked to do. He was here Monday and executed his physical on time. Stef reported yesterday, Tuesday, and reported for meetings at which time we had a good conversation, great communication and we got to a point yesterday where we felt like we all needed a break and some space.”
The Buffalo coach was addressing rumors that Diggs was discontent with the team and that he was completely absent from all team activities, when in reality, he says he gave permission for Diggs to miss Tuesday’s practice after an apparent conversation. Diggs was present during Wednesday’s practice.
Sean McDermott says he excused Stefon Diggs from practice yesterday.
— Greg Vorse (@GregVorse) June 14, 2023
He opened up a lot more about this ????????#Bills #BillsMafia @Cover1 pic.twitter.com/hJNJJD1pKO
“It was not Stef leaving unexcused. He was excused by me,” McDermott continued. “And so those conversations have gotten us to what I think, and believe, is a great spot.”
It’s unclear why Diggs was absent, but all fans can do is infer from what has transpired since Buffalo lost in the AFC divisional round to the Bengals. The 27–10 blowout was made all the uglier when Diggs was seen screaming at quarterback Josh Allen on the sidelines in frustration. After McDermott’s Tuesday comments, Allen addressed the situation but didn’t give specifics.
“I know, internally, we are working on some things, not football-related,” Allen said. “[Stefon] is my guy. I f------ love him. He’s a brother of mine. This does not work, what we’re doing here, without him.”
Finally, Diggs posted a cryptic message on his Instagram story Tuesday night, saying, “I just be letting people cap. If them lies help you sleep better tell ’em big dawg.” It’s unclear to whom he was referring and he has yet to speak to media members about the situation.