Stefon Diggs is already changing the conversation in Washington, and not just because of what he brings on the field. The Commanders finally have the kind of proven receiver they’ve been missing for years, a player who can line up opposite Terry McLaurin and give this passing game a real second punch.
That matters in a big way for a team that has leaned on McLaurin as its leading receiver since he arrived in 2019. Washington has been short on starting-level help at wideout even after the draft, when it picked Antonio Williams in the third round. The numbers tell the story: outside of McLaurin, only one Commanders receiver has topped 30 catches in a season over the last five years, and that was Treylon Burks with 33 in 2022.
Diggs, though, arrives with a track record that fits the bill. He’s coming off a torn ACL in 2024, yet still put up 1,013 yards last season for the New England Patriots while running the fewest routes of his career when he played more than eight games.
He was also a key piece of the Patriots’ Super Bowl run, with both players and coaches pointing to his leadership as part of the reason that group got where it did. Diggs has now gone over 1,000 yards in his last seven full seasons, with 2024 shortened to eight games because of the knee injury.
McLaurin, meanwhile, had five straight 1,000-yard seasons before missing seven games and falling short last year.
Diggs has also made it clear he still sees himself the same way he always has. “Stefon Diggs said he was the best WR2 available, but he still has the WR1 mindset. Confidence in himself, his work ethic, and his production on the field. pic.twitter.com/jpPuxckxHa”
At his first press conference in a Commanders hat, Diggs talked about the hometown connection and the edge it gave him growing up. “I used to come home when we used to play the Commanders-Redskins, back in the day, and I always felt like I had something to prove, because that's my hometown team,” he told members of the media.
“Them and the Baltimore Ravens. I always played with a chip on my shoulder, but the chip got really big when I go home because that's your hometown team."
Jayden Daniels also sounded fired up about having Diggs around. During an interview on the Commanders’ Next Man Up podcast, he said, “It’s great, man,” Daniels said during an interview on the Commanders’ Next Man Up podcast.
“The guy came in with a lot of focus, energy - he’s hungry and willing to get better and push everybody. His resume, his career, speaks for itself.
I’m excited to be able to work along with a guy like that, who has been so great over all these years. He overcame adversity from where he was drafted in the league, to all the stuff he has been through on the field - his (ACL) injury - and I’m excited to learn from him, too.”
While Diggs is grabbing headlines, another competition is quietly tilting in Washington’s favor. Drew Stevens keeps stacking clean kicking days, and on Saturday he went 6-for-6 while Matt Moody finished 4-for-6, with one attempt hitting the post. The kicks came from 33, 37, 42, 47, 52, and 57 yards.
Through eight practices, Stevens has hit 34 of 36 kicks. Moody is 28-for-35, and all seven of his misses have come in the last three kicking sessions.
The pressure appears to be mounting on Moody, and the race has shifted from Stevens trying to stay even to Stevens creating separation on back-to-back days as the Commanders head toward the joint practice and preseason opener. Preseason will decide it, but right now Moody is the one trying to reverse the momentum.
On the defensive side, free-agent safety Nick Cross has looked every bit the part so far. He’s lived up to the buzz and has the look of a force.
Even so, Jeremy Reaves got the first chance to start next to Cross in two-high safety looks instead of Harris or Martin. Reaves may not jump off the page athletically, but Dan Quinn has praised his football IQ and communication, two traits Jones wants in his defense.
The Commanders also launched “Tuddy’s Buddies,” the official Kids Club of the team, in partnership with Children’s National. The club is aimed at giving younger fans year-round ways to connect with Washington while also supporting positive personal growth, community engagement, and football fandom.
In Other News...
Stefon Diggs Brings Washington A Bigger Problem Than Fans Expected
Stefon Diggs one-year deal with Washington was supposed to be judged first through the usual football lens: what he still has left, how he fits, and whether he can help the offense take a step forward. Instead, the signing immediately widened the spotlight around him. A social media post from Christopher Blake Griffith brought back a legal dispute that has hovered over Diggs for months, turning a roster move into another round of off-field attention for the Commanders to absorb.
Griffith has accused Diggs of drugging and attempting to sexually assault him in 2023, claims Diggs denies and has answered with a defamation lawsuit. The situation has also pulled in Diggs family, after his brother, Darez Diggs, pleaded no contest to felony grand theft tied to an incident involving Griffith. For Washington, it is the sort of extra baggage that comes with signing a player of Diggs profile, and it ensures the conversation around him will be about more than route running for the foreseeable future. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Just Sent A Clear Message About Protecting Jayden Daniels
The Commanders spent part of their recent roster work sending a pretty clear signal about where their attention is headed entering the 2026 season. By adding Daniel Brunskill, Nicholas Petit-Frere and Max Scharping to the active roster, Washington leaned into veteran help up front at a time when every move on the offensive line gets filtered through the same larger question: how to keep Jayden Daniels cleaner and the offense sturdier.
The trio arrives with real NFL experience, which is exactly the sort of depth teams tend to chase when they believe better protection can stabilize everything behind center. To make those additions, Washington moved on from wide receiver Chris Hilton Jr. and guard Timothy McKay, while defensive tackle D.J. Davidson was placed on the Reserve/Retired List, another sign that the roster is being reshaped with the trenches in mind. [Read more 🡒]
Stefon Diggs Just Put Washington In An Awkward Jersey Debate
Stefon Diggs first appearance with the Commanders came with an unexpected subplot: he was in No. 18, a practice jersey that worked fine for the moment, but not necessarily for the long haul. The number makes sense as a placeholder because the digits Diggs has worn before are already taken on Washingtons roster, leaving the veteran receiver in a familiar spot for now and the equipment staff with a small but oddly notable problem to solve.
The real intrigue is where this could go next, because Diggs has shown interest in a different number with real history in Washington. No. 7 carries its own weight around the franchise, tied to Joe Theismann and effectively untouched for years, so any change would have to fit both roster realities and team policy. For now, the Commanders have a jersey question hanging in the background of Diggs arrival, and the final answer may depend on moves yet to come. [Read more 🡒]