For four years, Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs were one of the most effective quarterback-receiver duos in the league.
But now that partnership has ended, as the Bills traded Diggs to the Texans.
At Allen’s Thursday press conference — his first since the trade was executed — the quarterback noted that there have been plenty of changes this offseason for Buffalo, and he has to roll with them.
“I guess that’s the nature of the business,” Allen said. “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.”
Allen noted that he has communicated with Diggs since the trade, though it seemed limited.
“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.”
While Allen acknowledged that Diggs meant a lot to the offense, he’s excited about the players who will have an opportunity to step up in 2024.
“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.”
With Diggs out of the building, Allen said he learned plenty from the way Diggs ran route concepts and the way his energy was “infectious” at practice. But Allen noted just how much Diggs furthered his development when asked about his lasting impression of the receiver.
“My lasting memory of Stef will be [that he was] the receiver that helped me become the quarterback that I am today,” Allen said. “And I’ll always thank him for that.”