Bills Central

WATCH: Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs have awkward handshake following Week 5 clash

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs briefly met at midfield following their Week 5 showdown.

Kyle Silagyi

Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
In this story:

The heavily-anticipated reunion of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs was perhaps not as ceremonious as expected.

The two, who once formed one of the more dynamic and statistically productive quarterback-wideout tandems in the NFL, met at midfield following Houston’s 23-20 Week 5 win over the Bills. Their entire interaction took no more than a few seconds; Allen sought his former teammate out, the two sharing a quick hug and little eye contact before walking their separate ways.

Fans and pundits weren’t anticipating a long pre-or-postgame embrace, but they weren’t necessarily expecting an awkward interaction such as this, especially considering the cordial nature in which the two talked about each other following the receiver’s offseason departure.

Allen and Diggs were immensely productive with each other throughout the pass-catcher's four years in Buffalo; they helped one another establish themselves as two of the better players in the league at their respective positions throughout the four-season stretch, connecting for 445 receptions, 5,372 yards, and 37 touchdowns. Allen earned NFL MVP votes in three of Diggs’ four years in Orchard Park while the wideout earned four Pro Bowl nods. 

Their off-field relationship, forged over Call of Duty, was as endearing as their on-field chemistry was electric; the two had a buddy-cop-like rapport, even appearing alongside each other on the cover of the  “BFF” edition of Sports Illustrated Kids magazine. 

Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs
Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Diggs’ relationship with his quarterback and the organization deteriorated as the team continued to struggle to get over the proverbial hump, his frustrations boiling over in the form of an on-field shouting incident during Buffalo’s 2022 AFC Divisional Round loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. He stayed with the Bills through the 2023 season, but both sides felt it was time for a change after the conclusion of the campaign; he was traded to the Texans this past April.

Allen and Diggs had been cordial toward one another in the media, perhaps making the brevity of their post-game interaction a bit surprising. Diggs caught six passes for 82 yards in his new team’s win, a game in which Allen and company could have certainly benefited from his presence; Buffalo’s wide receivers combined for just four catches on the day.

— Enjoy free coverage of the Bills from Buffalo Bills on SI —

More Buffalo Bills News:

Published |Modified
Kyle Silagyi
KYLE SILAGYI

Home/News