The Buffalo Bills and wide receiver Stefon Diggs have agreed on a restructured deal, which doesn’t extend the length of the contract or add money, but shifts money between years. The move was first reported by Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
Diggs receives a raise in 2020, with $3.3 million total dollars coming off the books in 2022 and 2023 and into this season. They also gave him a big guaranteed salary increase in 2021, turning $7.7 million of unguaranteed salary into fully guaranteed money.
Garafolo speculated this is directly related to the Star Lotulelei opt out. While they were planning for the defensive tackle’s big salary number to be off the books a year from now, the cap hit will now be in 2021.
Here are the new breakdowns with the old numbers in there in strike-through font, as well.
2020
Workout bonus: $100,000
Salary: $10.9 million $14,200,000 (fully guaranteed)
Per-game roster bonus: $500,000 ($31,250 per game) ($468,750 LTBE)
Cap hit: $11,468,750 $14,768,750
2021
Workout bonus: $100,000
Salary: $11.4 million $11,766,666 ($11 million fully guaranteed)
Per-game roster bonus: $500,000 ($31,250 per game)
Cap hit: $12 million $12,366,666
Dead cap: $0 if cut before 3rd day of league year $11 million
2022
Workout bonus: $100,000
Salary: $11.4 million $10,566,666
Per-game roster bonus: $500,000 ($31,250 per game)
Cap hit: $12 million $11,166,666
Dead cap: $0
2023
Workout bonus: $100,000
Salary: $11.4 million $10,650,000
Per-game roster bonus: $500,000 ($31,250 per game)
Cap hit: $12 million $11,250,000
Dead cap: $0
There are $9 million worth of incentives built into the contract in the form of salary escalators:
- 100 receptions in a season escalates the following year’s salary: in 2021 by $666,666, 2022 by $750,000, and 2023 by $800,000.
- 1,375 receiving yards in a season escalates the following year’s salary: in 2021 by $666,666, 2022 salary by $750,000, and 2023 salary by $800,000