The Patriots came out ahead on the Stefon Diggs sweepstakes, and they may have avoided a lot more than an awkward reunion.
New England took a chance on Diggs when his market was cooler than it had ever been. He was older, coming off a major injury, and there were real questions about whether he could still be a No. 1 receiver. The Patriots still brought him in, helped him work back, and stuck with him through some controversy.
On the field, Diggs delivered. He became a useful piece for Drake Maye, catching 85 of 102 targets for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns.
His playoff disappearance was a different story, but his lone season in Foxborough still counted as a solid one. Even with that production, the Patriots decided to move on.
That decision looks even better now that Diggs is headed elsewhere in the AFC East orbit. According to Adam Schefter, the Miami Dolphins were among the strongest contenders for him before he ultimately signed with the Washington Commanders. If that had gone the other way, New England could have been staring at Diggs twice a year.
And that would have come with all the baggage that tends to follow him.
Diggs has a track record of making life difficult for former teams. He has faced the Minnesota Vikings twice and hasn’t scored against them, but he did pile up 22 catches for 222 yards in those games, including a 12-catch, 128-yard outing in the first meeting. Against the Buffalo Bills since leaving, he has put up 19 receptions for 254 yards across three games, including a huge first meeting last season when he grabbed 10 of 12 targets for 146 yards.
None of that guarantees he would have terrorized Mike Vrabel’s defense if he had landed in Miami, especially with the quarterback situation there. But Diggs is still one of the best receivers of his generation, and players with that kind of résumé can flip the script on any given Sunday.
For the Patriots, though, this was the right kind of clean break. They knew they had a strong shot at A.J.
Brown, and Diggs’ off-field issues only made the decision easier. They got what they needed out of him, thanked him for the season, and treated it like what it was: a business call.
And there’s no reason for hard feelings on either side. Diggs has no obvious reason to resent New England, and Patriots fans can point to the playoffs if they want to nitpick. But considering how uneven the passing game was overall, it’s tough to pin everything on him.
In Other News...
Patriots Camp Battles Are Starting To Reveal How This Roster Could Shift
A day before a joint practice with the Colts, the Patriots were back on the field Monday and getting a better sense of how the roster is taking shape. Carlton Davis returned in a limited capacity after an injury, while Kyle Dixon was out because of his own injury, a reminder that these late-summer practices are as much about availability as they are about evaluation. The session also offered another look at some of the names trying to carve out roles, with Romeo Doubs, Efton Chism III and Tommy DeVito among the players drawing attention.
For New England, these are the kinds of practices that can quietly change a depth chart. With positional shuffling still happening and injury management part of the equation, every rep matters for players trying to make the right impression before the Colts get a closer look. The competition is not settled yet, and Monday only added to the sense that a few roster decisions could be moving in real time. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Move On From A Recent Draft Pick Before Preseason
The Patriots are making another early-summer adjustment to their offensive line depth chart, and this one involves a player they invested in only a year ago. Before the preseason gets rolling, the team is moving on from a recent draft pick as it continues sorting out the best mix up front for the 2026 season.
Caedan Wallace, New Englands 2024 third-round selection, had seen limited action since arriving in Foxborough, appearing in 10 games and making two starts across the past two seasons. For a team still trying to stabilize and reshape its protection plan, the release underscores how quickly roster math can change when a young lineman has not carved out a steady role. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Just Moved On From A Recent Draft Pick As Camp Tightens
Training camp always has a way of sharpening roster decisions, and the Patriots have already made one of the more notable ones on the line. Caedan Wallace, a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, is no longer on the roster as New England keeps trimming and sorting through its depth ahead of the season.
Niko Lalos is back in the picture too, after first joining the Patriots on a one-year deal, getting let go in May and now returning to the roster. Moves like these are part of the churn this time of year, but with camp tightening, every transaction carries a little more weight as New England keeps refining the group it plans to carry forward. [Read more 🡒]