The goal for most teams with a promising young quarterback is to support the future of the franchise by pairing him with a go-to wide receiver.
Last Friday, the Patriots officially signed four-time Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs to join forces with second-year QB Drake Maye. Diggs was tracking for his seventh consecutive 1,000-yard season before suffering a season-ending knee injury last season. At the time of the injury, Diggs was seventh in the NFL in receptions (47), ranking second among qualified receivers in ESPN's receiver score metric.
The 31-year-old has plenty of good football left. Now, he'll join Maye at a time similar to when Diggs teamed up with NFL MVP Josh Allen in Buffalo. Diggs arrived in Buffalo when Allen was entering his third season in the league. The talented wideout led the NFL in receptions (127) and receiving yards (1,535) in 2020, helping Allen make his first Pro Bowl while the Bills reached the AFC Championship Game. For Diggs, he sees the parallels and is looking forward to working with Maye moving forward.
"Everybody says they're very much alike. I look forward to working with him, getting to know him more as a quarterback is one way, but as a person is another," Diggs told Patriots.com. "You learn how they think. Is he a gambler? Is he a guy who likes to take chances? Is he aggressive? The many quarterbacks I've played with are going to help me.
"Josh [Allen] is an MVP talent. He's always been an MVP talent. Drake has some of that fire," Diggs continued.
Before signing with the Patriots, the team hosted Diggs on a free-agent visit in Foxborough. During the visit, a familiar face was in the room: Patriots wide receivers coach Todd Downing. In 2018, Downing was an offensive assistant for the Vikings when Diggs was in his fourth season with Minnesota. His prior relationship with Downing played a role in Diggs's decision to sign with the Patriots.
"[Downing] had spent some time in Minnesota. He's seen me practice, he's seen me work hard, he's seen me put the time in. I feel like that relationship carried over to where he is now," Diggs explained. "[Vrabel] was the coach for the Titans when we went against them multiple times, so it was some kind of familiarity. It was a smooth visit.
"It felt like it would have been a good fit. I was happy with how the visit went. We went back and talked about it. Talked to my family and even talked to my little ones about it to see how they felt. Everybody was happy, so it worked out. I was happy that it worked out."
The other prior connection to the Patriots coaching staff came when he was in Houston. Diggs played for Texans receivers coach Ben McDaniels, the brother of Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Coincidentally, Diggs used to ask the Texans coach about the Pats OC.
"It's crazy because I asked his brother questions prior to me getting here. I used to ask him questions here and there like how was your brother? He told me about [Josh McDaniels]," Diggs told reporters at his introductory press conference last week.
Over the years, Diggs has become one of the NFL's premier receivers by being an elite route runner. The veteran wideout is a crafty technician who understands how to manipulate defenders within his routes to create separation. Diggs explained the science behind his route running by saying, "I like being consistently inconsistent."
New Patriots WR Stefon Diggs signed his contract and was introduced at Gillette Stadium on Friday, March 28, 2025. Diggs was joined by his mother, Stephanie, during his visit.
"What you saw last week you might not see this week. You might see something you saw two weeks ago," said Diggs. "I do a lot of watching myself. Watching my tendencies, watching what I put on tape, and I try to play off of that. Just like a chess game. The ability to create space and short-area quickness is what I'm really, really good at."
Patriots fans know first-hand what a challenging receiver Diggs can be to cover. During his four seasons in Buffalo, Diggs tortured his divisional opponents, averaging 81.6 receiving yards with seven touchdowns in eight games vs. the Patriots as a Bill. Now, Diggs will be on the other side of the AFC East rivalry, playing his former team in Orchard Park twice a year.
"When I went to Buffalo, I learned there was a rivalry and I get really excited for rivalry games. Obviously, things are going to switch a little bit. I'm super excited about that," Diggs said.
Although there's plenty of buzz about Diggs joining the Patriots, the reality is that he's working his way back from a major knee injury that ended his 2024 season after eight games. According to reports, there's optimism that Diggs could return early in the 2025 season, while the Pats new wideout has also shared clips of his recent workouts on social media.
"I'm in a great spot. I'm ahead of schedule. I'm trying to stay ahead of schedule," Diggs said. "I've been working smart. It's different from working just hard. I'm working smart as well. I look forward to mixing it up a little bit in a couple of months."
Since taking over as the Patriots lead personnel executive, EVP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf has been trying to catch a big fish on the veteran wide receiver market. Diggs is the big-name receiver that Wolf has coveted, and the signing comes at a great time, with Maye ascending in the second year of his rookie contract. The veteran receiver and second-year quarterback look to be a formidable duo in the Patriots offense.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
