Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings may have coronavirus protection language built into Stefon Diggs trade

The Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings agreed to a trade for wide receiver Stefon Diggs, sending the Bills’ 2020 first-round pick and some other draft capital to the Upper Midwest. That deal still isn’t official as the 2020 league year is about to kick off, but it could be months until it actually goes through.

That’s because of the league’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. Teams were directed to close their facilities to visiting free agents and that includes bringing players to town for a physical at the local hospital.

Teams have the option of allowing players to get physicals at their local hospitals or with local doctors, but those medical facilities and professionals are being called on to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak in increasing numbers.

With all of that information swirling, Tom Pellisero of NFL Network reports that teams “should consider including contingency language in trade agreements to account for a scenario where a player is unable to take and pass a physical...”

The 2020 NFL Draft is at the end of next month, before the likely end of closures related to the coronavirus.

So what happens if Diggs ultimately fails his physical and is sent back to Minnesota after the 2020 NFL Draft, when the Vikings already used Buffalo’s pick? That’s the question teams will need to address in the contingency language.

Previous coverage:

• Bills trade first-round pick for WR Stefon Diggs
• How the trade for Diggs came together
• Q&A: Bills add Stefon Diggs as part of new agreements
• Initial reaction to Stefon Diggs trade from Nick & Nolan
• Vikings fans react to Stefon Diggs trade
• What does the trade mean for Josh Allen?
• Contract details for Stefon Diggs
• All-22 Highlights showing Stefon Diggs’s skill set
• Bills, Vikings may have coronavirus contingencies built into trade