Stefon Diggs reportedly paid Jimmie Ward $100K for jersey number

Stefon Diggs had to pay a lot of money to wear a new jersey number with the Houston Texans. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC (per Pro Football Talk), the star wide receiver paid Jimmie Ward $100,000 for the No. 1 jersey. Diggs opted to switch to No. 1 from No. 14 after wearing it his entire career.

Diggs considered changing to No. 1 when he was with the Bills in 2021. “After some thought… I can’t change my number,” he wrote on social media at the time. “All the people that spent their hard earned money supporting the 14. I gotta keep it.”

The Texans traded for Diggs last week and reworked his current contract. His base salary went from $18 million to $22.5 million in guaranteed money for the upcoming season and voided the final three years of his deal, which will make him a free agent in 2025.

Following the trade, Diggs sent an emotional message to Bills fans. “I can’t begin to express the amount of love and respect I have for the city of Buffalo,” Diggs wrote. “Four of the best years of my life. The city welcomed me with open arms. I’m forever grateful for you all and the Buffalo Bills organization!

“Something special was built over these years with some very special men, that will always have a place in my heart. Bills mafia, so many great memories created throughout the years. Those games were crazy because of you. Sadly good things come to an end until we meet again.”

Why the Buffalo Bills traded Stefon Diggs

Diggs joins the Texans as one of the top wide receivers in the league. He has made the Pro Bowl the last four years and is coming off a 2023 season where he caught 107 passes for 1,183 yards and eight touchdowns.

Bills general manager Brandon Beane explained to reporters why the team traded Diggs. “These moves are never easy — very hard, not made overnight, anything like that — but any time you make a move like this, as I said, very difficult, you’re doing it because you’re trying to win,” Beane said. “Sometimes people may not see that. This is by no means the Bills giving up or trying to take a step back or anything like that.

“Everything we do, we’re trying to win, and we’re going to continue to do that. It’s April the 3rd, and we’ll continue to work on this roster and make sure we’re ready to play come September.”