From head coach Mike Vrabel to MVP runner-up QB Drake Maye, plenty of people stepped up for the New England Patriots this year as they won the AFC Championship and reached the Super Bowl. But while wide receiver Stefon Diggs played no small role in restoring the team to greatness, his time in New England could be running out.
According to Chad Graff of The Athletic, the Patriots might balk at keeping Diggs on the roster in 2026 due to his contract. He has a $26.5 million cap hit, which could be rough for the front office to swallow.
“The Patriots want to get better at wide receiver while Drake Maye is still on his affordable rookie contract, and cutting their most productive player at the position doesn’t seem like a natural way to do that,” Graff wrote. “That said, $26.5 million is a hefty cap hit for a receiver who will turn 33 next season.”
One-and-Diggs
Diggs was the Patriots' top receiver in 2025. He led the team in targets, receptions and receiving yards, finishing the season with 85 receptions for 1,013 yards and four scores. No other pass catcher had more than 60 receptions for the Patriots.
That being said, Diggs hasn't exactly been a Boy Scout in New England either. He nearly put his entire availability for the 2025 playoffs in jeopardy with an arrest for assault and battery in late-December. While Diggs managed to get his court case pushed off far enough to avoid it affecting his availability for the playoffs, there are concerns that he could be punished before next season.
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Diggs is coming off his 11th season and has somehow managed to stay very healthy despite the high-risk nature of his position. He's only had one season where he's missed more than three games.
Even so, he's 33 years old. No matter how good he was in 2025, it's far more likely that he declines than improves in any future seasons.
Are the Patriots willing to take a $26.5 million risk that Diggs will be both as good and as available next season than the one he just had?