When the Buffalo Bills traded away Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs on Thursday, it felt like somewhat of a mystery. The Bills were set to take on an over $31 million dead cap hit and now have a depleted receiver corps.
On Thursday, the motivations for the trade were made a little bit more clear. The Houston Texans have voided out the final three years of the contract and moved up $3 million of guaranteed money, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. That will allow Diggs to become a free agent after the 2024 season.
This is an interesting move for the Texans, as they essentially gave up a second-round pick for a one-year rental because Diggs wanted to hit the free-agent market after the 2024 season. Is that a great move for the Texans and Diggs? That will be made clear once the 2024 season plays out. Calvin Ridley is of a similar age Diggs is and he just got $23 million per year on his new contract, something Diggs likely thinks he can get, as his average cash flow over the next four years is less than $20 million per year.
The Bills took a small salary cap hit to get rid of Diggs over keeping him, which tells you all you need to know about what they thought about keeping Diggs long-term.