Stephen A. Smith: Stefon Diggs Wants Trade from Bills, Has 'Lost' Belief in Buffalo

Stefon Diggs is seeking an exit from the Buffalo Bills, according to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.

Smith reported Monday on First Take that Diggs "wants out" and "would prefer to be gone because he has lost a level of belief" in the team.

Diggs refuted the story on social media:

His relationship with the Bills has been a subplot for the team all offseason and to an extent dates back to last year's AFC divisional round loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. At one point in the game, he was visibly frustrated on the sidelines.

Questions subsequently arose when Diggs skipped the first day of Buffalo's mandatory minicamp in June, something which head coach Sean McDermott said he was "very concerned" about.

While the three-time Pro Bowler showed up a day later, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on an "in-house situation" that wasn't connected to his contract since he had just restructured his deal in March.

The Boston Globe's Ben Volin added later one source of friction was Diggs' "role in the offense and his voice in play-calling."

Appearing Aug. 1 on The Pat McAfee Show, general manager Brandon Beane addressed the matter and said Diggs hadn't requested a trade. He also indicated things were resolved between the involved parties.

The odds of the Bills trading Diggs before Week 1 are probably slim to none considering they're less than a month away from opening the regular season Sept. 11 against the New York Jets. A midseason trade seems just as unlikely when Super Bowl contenders typically aren't in the business of offloading one of their best players.

And based on Beane's comments and Diggs' latest response, he may not want a trade in the first place.

Still, it's not ideal that rumors of the pass-catcher's discontent continue to linger, and this figures to once again become a story.