After a long saga with Stefon Diggs, the Vikings eventually traded him to the Bills last offseason.
Before that, the Patriots were among the final suitors for the wide receiver, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. New England had a chance to match or improve the offer given by the Bills, per Rapoport.
“When Bill Belichick and the Patriots declined, Diggs was off to the Bills,” Rapoport wrote. Rapoport also revealed a pretty illuminating timeline for the Diggs trade:
“At 2:46 p.m. on March 16, Diggs tweeted: ‘It’s time for a new beginning.’ And teams began calling.
Minnesota never intended to trade him, but had a number in mind of what it would take if they did. At about 3 p.m., offers came in.”
When the dust was settled, Diggs departed for the Bills. That deal ended up working out for both teams: The Bills are a contender with an elite wideout and the Vikings drafted Justin Jefferson with the first-rounder Buffalo gave them.
It might be hard for Vikings fans to see Diggs in the AFC Championship game Sunday. But overall, the move worked out for both parties.