Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Should Bills be concerned about star WR's OTAs absence?

By Clark Dalton | Last updated 5/23/23

Buffalo Bills star wide receiver Stefon Diggs has been absent throughout the offseason. Is he taking an extended break after an emotional season, or is tension bubbling?

In a Tuesday news conference, Bills head coach Sean McDermott confirmed the three-time Pro Bowler wasn't present the beginning of OTAs. He was also absent during the team's voluntary workouts earlier this offseason.

Elite players skipping OTAs isn't abnormal since they're voluntary, and veterans need rest before the season starts. However, the 29-year-old's absence could signal he's disappointed with Buffalo's playoff shortcomings after it failed to make the AFC title game the past two seasons.

During the Bills' 27-10 divisional-round loss to the Bengals, Diggs yelled and waved his arms at quarterback Josh Allen in a sideline interaction.

Stefon Diggs exchanging some words with Josh Allen on the sideline pic.twitter.com/J2heSTBMrc
— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) January 22, 2023

"Stef's gonna Stef," Allen recently said of his relationship with Diggs. "I love the guy. He's one of my favorite people on this planet. He wants the ball in his hands 24/7, and I'm never gonna not like a guy like that."

Diggs explained he was frustrated with Allen because he and the Bills veered from the blueprint that made them one of the league's best teams early in the regular season.

"I felt like during the first nine weeks of the season we had kind of like a recipe for winning, and we kind of got away from it on the back end," Diggs said on "The Dan Patrick Show" during Super Bowl week.

Diggs missing OTAs isn't a reason to hit the panic button, but it is concerning given that he and Allen weren't on the same page at the end of last season.

Regardless, they should reconcile if any disconnect remains, because both want to lead Buffalo to its first championship.

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