The NFL is considering a major change for wide receivers next season, and Buffalo Bills All-Pro Stefon Diggs flirted with the idea of going along with it.
As CBS Sports reported, the Kansas City Chiefs have proposed a change that would allow more skill players to wear single-digit numbers on their jerseys, and Peter King of NBC Sports reported that the proposal is expected to pass. By the NFL’s rules, these numbers had only been open to quarterbacks and kickers in the past, but the new rule would allow running backs, tight ends, wide receivers, and cornerbacks to pick single numbers. Diggs, who wore No. 1 during his years at the University of Maryland, seemed intrigued by the idea.
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Diggs Considers Making Change
As CBS Sports noted, there are a number of big-name players who could jump at the opportunity to go back to numbers they wore in high school or college. The report specifically called out Diggs, suggesting that he move back to No. 1, which is already available on the Bills.
“He’s made No. 14 look cool in both Minnesota and Buffalo, but before that, Diggs epitomized his showy playmaking with No. 1 at Maryland and in high school,” the report noted. “No one’s occupying the top digit with the Bills as we speak.”
Most games with 100+ receiving yards in 2020
💯 Calvin Ridley – 8
💯 Stefon Diggs – 7
💯 Justin Jefferson – 7
💯 DeAndre Hopkins – 7
💯 Davante Adams – 7 pic.twitter.com/6y4uYyEMpy— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) April 4, 2021
Diggs added to the speculation as well, taking to Twitter to hint that he was considering a move to one of the newly available numbers.
Number 1 or 7 …. trying see what it’ll look like 👀
— DIGGS (@stefondiggs) April 5, 2021
Diggs Decides Against Change
But just a few hours after his initial tweet, Diggs seemed to change course. He took to Twitter again to say that he would be sticking with No. 14 in honor of the fans who have shown him so much support during his first season with the team.
“After some thought.. I can’t change my number all the people that spent their hard earned money supporting the 14 I gotta keep it,” he wrote.
Though he was only able to play two home games in front of Bills fans this season, Diggs has taken to the city and praised the fans. After the team fell just short of the Super Bowl, he had some words of praise for the fan base and thanked them for making his first year so special.
Special first year in Buffalo for @StefonDiggs. 🙌#GoBills | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/MKimgLX9c2
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 27, 2021
Diggs had quite a bit of success wearing No. 14 in his first year with the Bills, turning in the best season of his career as he made a league-best 127 catches for 1,535 yards and made the first All-Pro team of his career. He quickly became a favorite target for Josh Allen, who had his own career-best season thanks in large part to Diggs. In a later tweet after backing away from his consideration of a change, Diggs added that he was connected to the number.
14 to me is everything… 🤍
— DIGGS (@stefondiggs) April 5, 2021
There could be another reason that Diggs decided against taking on a new number. Teammate Tyrel Dodson, a linebacker who wore No. 53 last season, responded to the tweet from Diggs by joking that he was planning on competing for the No. 1 jersey.
“Good..because I was going to make you pay anyways for my new Jersey,” Dodson tweeted.
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