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Minnesota Vikings: Stefon Diggs contract banks on progression

By Cody Williams

SEATTLE, WA - AUGUST 18: Wide receiver Stefon Diggs #14 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up prior to the game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on August 18, 2016 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - AUGUST 18: Wide receiver Stefon Diggs #14 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up prior to the game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on August 18, 2016 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /
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The Minnesota Vikings locked up Stefon Diggs to a five-year contract on Tuesday, which means the wideout will have to step up his production.

By most accounts, the Minnesota Vikings saw a career-year in the 2017 campaign from wide receiver Stefon Diggs. That, no doubt, was due to two things that went in his favor throughout the season. For one, he hauled in a total of eight touchdown receptions last season, which surpassed his combined total (7) over his first two years in the league.

More importantly though, Diggs hauled in the game-winning reception in the Divisional Round victory over the New Orleans Saints. His role in the Minnesota Miracle undoubtedly confirmed what everyone had been seeing from him in the 2017 season — that he was well on his way to becoming a star in this league.

Subsequently, the talk this offseason was about potentially locking Diggs up long term as he entered his final season with the team. On Tuesday, that was made official as he and the team agreed to a five-year contract that will pay Diggs a maximum of $16.2 million per year, putting him in the top-10 highest salaries among NFL wide receivers.

There’s no doubt that Diggs has progressed and proved himself throughout his three years as a pro to this point. However, there’s also another set of inescapable facts about the Vikings wide receiver. For one, he’s never caught more than 84 balls in a season. Secondly, while he’s never played in fewer than 13, the most games he’s played in a single season is just 14. And finally, Diggs’ career-high in receiving yards for a season wasn’t last year, but the previous season, and it was only 903 yards.

Those stats certainly don’t define Diggs’ importance or ability as a player. What’s more, the arrival of Kirk Cousins in Minnesota should undoubtedly help him become a more productive player.

But the fact of the matter is that the Vikings signing him to a long-term deal that is so rich is also them banking on him hitting those vaunted plateaus. He’s being paid like a guy who is going to be expected to catch 100 balls and hit 1,000 yards every season. Again, that’s something he hasn’t done to this point in his career before signing this new deal.

Frankly, the safe bet is on Diggs hitting those numbers in the 2018 season. With a new quarterback and another year of progression for the still 24-year old pro, he’s almost surely going to see an uptick in his numbers. And it’s clear with this new contract that the Vikings believe he’ll be able to do that as well.

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