Vikings' Mike Zimmer defends Stefon Diggs in trade aftermath: 'I've been around way worse guys than him'

Zimmer went to bat for Diggs, saying he wasn't a 'pain in the butt'

The Minnesota Vikings insist Stefon Diggs wasn't traded because he was a problem in the locker room. Diggs was sent to the Buffalo Bills this offseason by the Vikings in exchange for a first-round pick (and other draft compensation), ending his polarizing relationship with the organization. 

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer went to bat for his former No. 1 wideout, defending Diggs amid the idea that the Vikings wanting to distance themselves from him because of the locker room issues. 

"Really, if you said somebody was a pain in the butt, you probably wouldn't say him," Zimmer said on The Rich Eisen Show Thursday, via NFL.com. "I've been around way worse guys than him. I hope he has a great career and finishes up strong. Honestly, Diggs did not have to go. We really didn't have any intention of trading him. Quite honestly, he put out a couple tweets, and there were some things going on there. 

"But Stefon worked extremely hard. He practices like crazy. He wants the ball -- like all receivers do."

Diggs' relationship with the Vikings appeared to have soured over the past year. He showed signs of frustration on the sideline when the Vikings pass game was struggling in the early part of the season and was absent at a Vikings practice in October that was "not injury related." Eventually things came to pass and Diggs finished with 63 catches for a career-high 1,130 yards and six touchdowns. His 17.9 yards per catch shattered his previous career-high of 13.8 from his rookie season in 2015. 

Diggs' trade value was probably never going to be higher, especially with four years and $49.7 million left on his deal. The Vikings looked to shed some cap space after all the extensions handed out over the past couple years caught up to them and couldn't pass up receiving a a 2020 first-round pick (which became Justin Jefferson), a 2020 fifth-round pick, a 2020 sixth-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick.

A win-win for both sides. 

"We just felt like we could save some money, get a bunch of picks, maybe get a young receiver like (Justin Jefferson) that we got," Zimmer said. "So, I wish him well. He's a good kid. He worked hard for me."