The Patriots are making a huge addition to their offense by reportedly signing four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Diggs was in Foxborough last week to meet with the Patriots as he recovers from ACL reconstruction surgery he underwent roughly four months ago, per reports. Diggs was on pace for his seventh consecutive 1,000-yard season when he suffered a torn ACL last October. Although he's coming off an injury, there's optimism that Diggs could be ready to go for Week 1, per Schefter.
Last offseason, the Bills traded Diggs and two day-three draft picks to the Texans for a 2025 second-round pick. In Houston, Diggs was acquired by former Patriots executive Nick Caserio, while offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels's brother, Ben, is the Texans wide receivers coach. Diggs was also with current Pats receivers coach Todd Downing in Minnesota, so Diggs has multiple ties to head coach Mike Vrabel's coaching staff.
The former Bills and Texans wideout was one of the most prolific receivers in the NFL last season before his knee injury, ranking second among 116 qualified receivers in ESPN's receiver score metric. Diggs finished with 47 catches for 496 yards and three touchdowns in eight games in 2024. If you projected that over a 17-game season, Diggs would've finished with 100 catches for 1,054 yards and six touchdowns.
Before teaming up with Texans QB C.J. Stroud in Houston, Diggs was huge in Bills QB Josh Allen's ascension. Diggs arrived in Buffalo in the 2020 season, leading the NFL in receptions (127) and receiving yards (1,535). He went on to make the Pro Bowl and the playoffs in each of his four seasons in Buffalo, where he tortured the Patriots in head-to-head matchups, averaging 81.6 receiving yards with seven touchdowns in eight games vs. New England. Diggs also played the Pats as a member of the Texans last season, catching six passes for 77 yards with a touchdown.
Landing a star receiver like Diggs is a no-brainer for the wide receiver-needy Patriots. The Pats reportedly showed interest in free-agent receivers Chris Godwin (returned to Tampa Bay) and Cooper Kupp (signed with Seattle). Diggs might be coming off a major injury, but it's still a huge get for the Patriots, with the hope here being that Diggs will be a game-breaker for second-year QB Drake Maye as he was for Allen in Buffalo.
Diggs joins a wide receiver room that currently features Bourne, free-agent addition Mack Hollins, third-year pros DeMario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte, and second-year receivers Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker. Given Diggs's injury status, the Pats could still add another receiver in the 2025 NFL Draft, but this constitutes a "splash" at the position.
After a lengthy pursuit for a number-one receiver, the Patriots have landed a star pass-catcher for their promising young quarterback.
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