Tom Brady isn’t the only player sending out weird social media smoke signals.
On Tuesday, star wideout Stefon Diggs removed all Vikings content from his Instagram page just three days after writing, “Things getting interesting …” on Twitter. With less than a month before NFL free agency begins, the purge immediately sparked rumors that the disgruntled player could be moving on from Minnesota.
Social media overhauls aren’t uncommon among players preparing to sever ties with teams. Players like Demarco Murray and Jalen Ramsey scrubbed their profiles in a similar fashion before leaving the Cowboys and Jaguars, respectively.
The move is just one of many opaque messages sent by the 27-year-old receiver this offseason.
“Tired of the cap… lol” Diggs tweeted on Feb. 11 and on Feb. 9, he wrote, “Business is business… 🤷🏾♂️” and “People don’t appreciate things until they’re gone…”
The former Maryland Terrapin signed a five-year, $72 million contract back in 2018 which included a $15 million signing bonus and $40 million guaranteed according to Spotrac. He carries a cap hit of $14.5 million in 2020, but a dead cap hit of $9 million, down from $21 million in 2019.
A trade remains a possibility as teams begin to make roster decisions ahead of free agency, which begins March 18 at 4 p.m. EST. Some speculated that the receiver would be a welcome addition to many teams, including the Patriots, who desperately need to add weapons if they have any hope of keeping 42-year-old Tom Brady in New England.
Still, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero called the odds of Minnesota moving Diggs “pretty long” in light of his favorable contract. Interested teams would need at least $11.5 million in cap space to cover his base salary, as well as a tolerance for some “diva” behavior. The Vikings levied more than $200,000 in fines against Diggs in October for missing practices and meetings amid his palpable disenchantment with the organization.
“I can’t sit up here and act like everything is OK,” he said.
In spite of Diggs’ frustration with his role in the offense, he crested the 1,000-yard mark for the second season in a row and tallied 63 catches and six touchdowns. The Vikings were eliminated in the divisional round against the 49ers.