The Stefon Diggs Era in New England is officially one-and-done.
According to multiple reports on Wednesday afternoon, the Patriots have informed Diggs they will be releasing him next Wednesday when the new league year officially begins. The move allows the Pats to free up $16.8 million in cap space. Diggs was due to have $6 million guaranteed on his base salary for the upcoming season as of March 13.
Diggs finished his short stint in New England leaving a mark on the Patriots franchise. Fans will never forget the ‘We All We Got, We All We Need’ mantra that he introduced, one that took over every social media campaign and endeared the fanbase to him. While the classic ‘receiver drama’ followed Diggs – whether it was the pink substance on the boat just weeks into his career here, or his legal troubles – he was everything the team could have asked for in the locker room and on the field.
Coming off a torn ACL on the wrong side of 30, Diggs made a case to be Comeback Player of the Year, putting up 1,013 yards on 85 catches with four touchdowns. From the moment he stepped on the field in OTAs, you could see the type of leadership he brought to a young receiver room. Kayshon Boutte, Pop Douglas and Kyle Williams all benefited immensely from his leadership. From a working standpoint, he was mostly exceptional to deal with during his media duties.
The Patriots have also done right by Diggs by informing him a week ahead of time, allowing him to start gauging interest from other teams.
Diggs said his goodbye on his Instagram story, writing “THANK YOU for a hell of a year. We family forever,” with a heart emoji.
Diggs did disappear in the playoffs – except for the Houston game – but it’s still slightly surprising that the team didn’t want to keep him for continuity’s sake. I asked Drake Maye about Diggs during the final press conference of the season and the young QB seemed eager for a chance to run it back with No. 8.
“Man, I wish I would have given him more chances in the game. I know he probably thinks the same way, and I think he’s just been a great force this year. I can’t say enough about what he’s done for us, what he’s done for this team and what he’s proved to himself,” said Maye. “I think I saw him say something about that, proving to himself the player he is and how he can still be a big-time player in this league, and he showcased that. He’s got a lot of juice left in the tank, and he told me the other day he’s got a chance to really work on his craft in the offseason. He really didn’t have a chance last offseason coming from an injury, so he’s got a chance to get back and working and just trying get whatever’s left in his body.
“I know there’s some left, and I’m looking forward to getting a chance to hopefully throw him some more passes and watch [No.] 8 go.”
Now, if Diggs does still have plenty more in the tank, he’ll have to show it somewhere else. Meanwhile, with rumors swirling about AJ Brown, Alec Pierce and other free agent wide receivers, the Patriots absolutely must use this as a chance to upgrade the position, making sure they continue to help Maye remain in that upper echelon of quarterbacks in the NFL.