Sean McDermott ‘very concerned’ about Stefon Diggs’ absence from Bills minicamp

The Buffalo Bills were without one of their top players when they took the practice field for their mandatory minicamp session on Tuesday, leading to a strong reaction from their head coach.

Sean McDermott said he is “very concerned” that wide receiver Stefon Diggs did not attend or participate in Tuesday’s minicamp.

Diggs has not been at any of the Bills’ offseason workouts. His agent, Adisa Bakari, said that Diggs has been in Buffalo since Monday morning, took his physical and “will be there for the entirety of the minicamp,” via ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

McDermott did not address if Diggs’ absence was excused or not. If Diggs is absent for the entirety of the mandatory minicamp, he will be subject to fines nearing $100,000.

The Bills acquired Diggs from the Minnesota Vikings in March 2020 for a trade package that included a 2020 first-round pick, which turned into Justin Jefferson. Diggs has made the Pro Bowl and surpassed 100 catches in each of his three seasons in Buffalo.

In 2022, Diggs hauled in 108 catches for 1,429 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. The Bills’ playoff run ended in the divisional round with a home defeat against the Cincinnati Bengals, and Diggs notably left Highmark Stadium early following the loss.

Diggs and the Bills agreed to a restructured deal in March that will pay him $24.415 million in 2023, with a bulk of that coming in the form of a $22.745 million signing bonus, and comes with a $14.875 million cap hit.

A holdout leading to a potential trade would have enormous financial ramifications for the Bills. Diggs is signed through 2027 and has a dead cap hit of $45.466 million in 2023. His regular cap hit also exceeds $20 million each season between 2024 and 2027.