Former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs stands four starts into his stay with the New England Patriots. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images)
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The final game of September saw Stefon Diggs reach 100 receiving yards for the first time as a New England Patriot.
The veteran wideout had reached the century mark 24 times while a member of the perennial AFC East champions.
Now, a trip back Highmark Stadium is on deck. The Buffalo Bills have won 13 games in a row there and stand as the last unbeaten team left in the conference standings this fall.
It’s a measuring stick. And in prime time.
“100%,” Diggs told reporters at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday. “I mean, that team has been good year in and year out. Great fanbase has always played a key part. The coaching staff has always done a good job. They always have a sound defense and guys that make plays on offense. Things haven’t changed since I left. I know that team well. It’s going to be another test for us. Answering the bell is going to be key for us, but it’s a measuring stick. It’s early on for us, just like it’s early for them.”
The 31-year-old Diggs hasn’t found himself back in Orchard Park since being traded to the Houston Texans in the spring of 2024. But Sunday’s 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff will change that.
“It’s going to be a little bit emotional,” Diggs said. “Try to keep the main thing the main thing, but it’s my first time back there. It’s going to be a hell of an atmosphere. I was a part of that for a long time. I played there before I got there. I’m excited.”
After beginning his NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings, the No. 146 overall pick in the 2015 draft became the go-to target for quarterback Josh Allen. Upon being acquired in 2020, the Maryland Terrapins product immediately led the league with 127 receptions and 1,535 receiving yards.
Diggs continued to catch north of 100 passes per season for the Bills through 2023. His stay included four Pro Bowl selections as well as two All-Pro selections. It ended with yet another trade.
“Obviously it was hard for me. It was a difficult time,” added Diggs. “I spent so much time there, built a lot of bonds, a lot of friendships. It’s obviously going to be hard, emotional, for me. I look forward to going back, seeing those guys. It’s just the nature of the business. I’m not in control of nothing. I get open, I catch the ball. As far as the internal stuff, obviously I miss those guys over there. When you spend a lot of time with people, it becomes more personal rather than just professional. So when I say it’s the nature of the business, that’s just how it goes.”
Diggs was on track for his seventh consecutive 1,000-yard campaign with the Houston Texans in 2024. A non-contact torn ACL brought that streak to a close last October. A three-year, $63.6 million contract carrying $16.6 million fully guaranteed brought him to Foxborough as an unrestricted free agent in March.
Gaining speed with sophomore quarterback and captain Drake Maye, Diggs has played 55.5% of the offensive snaps through four starts. He has caught 19 passes for 213 yards on a 2-2 Patriots team.
“It is another game, but it’s a division game more importantly,” Diggs said. “All the things that kind of play a role outside of that – me being there before – obviously people are going to make that a huge thing. And it is a huge thing for me. I got a lot of respect and I got a lot of love for that city, that fanbase and even the players over there. On social media, we still take jabs at each other and support each other, but it’s just going to be so nice to see those guys.
“I try to be as professional, but obviously I hold them near and dear to my heart. Football means a lot to me, and the guys I spent a lot of time with over there, I’m going to give them a big hug.”