It will be the star receiver of the present — Justin Jefferson — going up against the star receiver of the past — Stefon Diggs — when the Vikings host the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The career paths of both players will forever be intertwined after the Vikings selected Jefferson with the draft pick they acquired (among a handful of others) in the blockbuster trade that sent Diggs to the Buffalo Bills in 2020.

It ended up working out well for the Vikings as Jefferson has become arguably the best receiver in the NFL. It also worked out well for the Bills as Diggs helped star quarterback Josh Allen reach his full potential before being traded to the Texans in April.

The matchup will mark the first time Diggs has played in Minnesota since he was traded. He did play against the Vikings as a member of the Bills in 2022, finishing with 12 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown.

If things hadn’t gone sideways in Minnesota, Diggs might still be playing for the Vikings, and Jefferson might be starring somewhere else. Though the Vikings couldn’t be happier with how things played out after trading Diggs and drafting Jefferson, it’s worth revisiting how the trade came about in the first place.

Here’s a trip down memory lane:

Taking the NFL by storm

The Vikings took a flier on Diggs with the No. 146 pick in the 2015 draft and it couldn’t have worked out much better. After being buried on the depth chart in the early stages of his career, Diggs made his NFL debut on Oct. 4, 2015, due to injuries, and he made the most of it with a six-catch, 87-yard performance against the Broncos in Denver. That served as the launching pad for an incredible rookie season during which Diggs finished with 52 catches for 720 yards and four touchdowns. It was a steady progression from there as Diggs established himself among the best receivers in the NFL. Together, Diggs and fellow receiver Adam Thielen formed a dynamic duo for the Vikings.

Minneapolis Miracle

The most memorable moment for Diggs with the Vikings came on Jan. 14, 2018, when he coauthored the Minneapolis Miracle. With the Vikings trailing the New Orleans Saints in the final seconds of the divisional round matchup, Diggs ran a corner route to the right sideline, then leaped to catch a pass from journeyman quarterback Case Keenum. The original plan called for Diggs to go out of bounds to set up a field-goal attempt. Instead, he broke free up the right sideline after making the catch, then scampered into the end zone for a 61-yard touchdown as time expired. It’s widely regarded among the most exciting plays in NFL history.

‘There’s truth to all rumors’

Ironically, the Minneapolis Miracle was the beginning of the end for that version of the Vikings, just nobody knew it at the time. The following offseason the Vikings, thinking they were in position to compete for a Super Bowl, signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins. That set off a chain reaction of events that ultimately led to Diggs souring on the Vikings as a whole. The most public display of discontent came after Diggs missed a practice amid speculation that he had asked for a trade. He stood in the locker room at TCO Performance Center and while answering questions about his future with the Vikings, he delivered the infamous phrase, “There’s truth to all rumors.” The cryptic response from Diggs was accompanied by him saying he had not requested a trade.

Blockbuster trade

Everything came to a head on March 20, 2020, when the Vikings made the decision to trade Diggs to the Bills in exchange for an assortment of draft picks. He left the Vikings after posting 365 catches for 4,623 yards and 30 touchdowns in 70 games. As tough as it was to trade Diggs, especially considering he had just recorded 63 catches for 1,130 yards, the Vikings decided it was the best path forward. That proved to be the case as the Vikings went on to draft Jefferson about a month later. In 62 games with the Vikings, Jefferson has 400 receptions for 6,091 yards and 32 touchdowns.

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