“To me, obviously, it’s a little sentimental. I spent a lot of time there.”
A lot has changed for Stefon Diggs since the last time he suited up for the Buffalo Bills in 2023.
He’s on his third team in three years and rounding back into form after spending the offseason recovering from ACL surgery.
Before his recent stops in Houston and New England, Diggs split his first eight years in the NFL evenly between Minnesota and Buffalo, spending four seasons with each.
He hasn’t played in Buffalo since he was traded. Now, one week after his best game in a Patriots uniform, he’ll make his return to Orchard Park.
“To me, obviously, it’s a little sentimental. I spent a lot of time there,” Diggs said. “I’m real familiar with the staff, familiar with the guys there. The guys that I’ve maintained a relationship with, I’m looking forward to seeing them play. It’s going to be a little bit emotional.
“I 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. So, I’m excited.”
Diggs said leaving his teammates after the trade to Houston was tough. He was a three-time team captain in Buffalo and enjoyed the most productive seasons of his career there. He had at least 1,183 yards and eight touchdowns during each of his seasons with the Bills.
“It’s the nature of the business, I guess. Obviously, it was hard for me,” Diggs said. “It was a difficult time, I spent a lot of time there, built a lot of friendships. It’s obviously going to be hard and emotional, so for me, I look forward to going back and seeing those guys.
“It’s just the nature of the business, I’m not in control of nothing. I get open and catch the ball. But, like, the internal stuff, obviously I miss those guys over there. You spend a lot of time with people and it becomes more personal than just professional, so when I say it’s the nature of the business, that’s just how it goes.”
The Patriots will enter the game with a 2-2 record against the undefeated Bills.. Sunday will be New England’s first night game of the year. It’s a divisional matchup in primetime, a rare occurrence in recent years.
“You get excited, but try not to get too overzealous. It’s another game, but it’s a division game, more importantly,” Diggs said. “All the things 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’ve got a lot of respect and a lot of love for that city, that fanbase, and even the players.
“We still tab jabs at each other and support each other, but it’s just going to be so nice to see those guys,” he continued. “I try to be professional, but obviously, I still hold them near and dear to my heart. Football means a lot to me and the guys that I spent a lot of time with over there, I’m going to give them a big hug.”
Are the Patriots ready for prime time?
“I feel like we don’t have a choice,” said Diggs.