The Indianapolis Colts have enough pieces to chase a playoff spot this season, but one obvious hole keeps hanging over the roster: the No. 3 receiver job. That’s where Stefon Diggs comes in, and he’d be a clear upgrade on the field.
The catch, of course, is that Diggs brings baggage. He has had a few off-field legal issues, and while he is a free agent available to sign with any team, there is still the question of whether the NFL would suspend him at all for his 2025 indiscretions.
Teams have to make their call with the assumption that he’ll be on the field for most games and able to help them win. Diggs can still do that.
His production last season with the New England Patriots, a team that lost in the Super Bowl to the Seattle Seahawks, showed exactly why he remains tempting. Diggs caught 85 of 102 targets, an 83.3 percent catch rate, and finished with 1,013 yards. Those numbers would have led the Colts in 2025.
Indianapolis, though, is not working with the same receiver room it had last season. Michael Pittman Jr. was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which leaves Alec Pierce as WR1 and Josh Downs as WR2. The Colts have Tyler Warren at tight end, but they still need at least three quality wideouts, just like most teams do.
Diggs would also represent an upgrade over what Pittman had recently become in Indianapolis. Pittman had settled into more of a possession role without much burst. He may fit better in Pittsburgh, but the Colts need more explosive production.
Age isn’t the biggest concern here. Diggs is 32, but outside of 2024 with the Houston Texans, he has stayed relatively healthy.
He also has seven seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards. The real gamble is everything that comes with him away from football.
On the field, though, he looks like a reliable bet to produce.
For general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen, the pressure is on to do whatever they can to get this team into the playoffs and keep their jobs after the 2026 season. Adding Diggs would give Indianapolis a receiver trio of Pierce, Downs and Diggs, with Warren in the mix as well. That’s a group that could make life difficult for opposing defenses.
Diggs by himself wouldn’t turn the Colts into a playoff team. He wouldn’t need to be the alpha in that receiver room, either.
He’d just have to be one more strong piece in Shane Steichen’s offense. That makes him a gamble worth considering.
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