There is a new twist in the New England Patriots quarterback-receiver drama.
And it has nothing to do with what has gone on here in Foxborough over the last 10 days.
Diggs deal in Washington raises eyebrows
Wednesday, Stefon Diggs parlayed his 85-catch (on just 102 targets), 1,013-yard season with Maye and the 2025 Patriots into a one-year deal with the Washington Commanders that could be worth up to $12 million.
Diggs could be a huge piece in re-energizing Jayden Daniels’ career after his injury-riddled sophomore season.
Let all the comparisons begin:
Drake Maye vs. Daniels -- same draft class.
A.J. Brown vs. Terry McLaurin -- both top-10 receivers.
Romeo Doubs vs. Diggs -- two of the top No. 2s in the game.
The one that matters most
The last one on that list will certainly be scrutinized the most. New England could have kept Diggs on his deal that would have paid him $20 million for 2026.
Instead, they released Diggs and signed the former Packer Doubs, who has never had a 1,000-yard receiving season. Diggs has seven of them, including 2025 when he was coming back from a torn ACL.
Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Patriots delivered a four-year, $68 million pact to Doubs, with $39 million of that (basically two years plus a buyout) guaranteed.
The “Why didn’t they stick with Stefon?” crowd will be heard if Doubs doesn’t answer the bell.
So far, while Brown has grabbed the camp receiver headlines, Maye likes what Doubs has brought to the practice field on a daily basis.
Counting on Romeo
Remember, Doubs is coming from a totally new offensive system – West Coast to McDaniels’ style.
“I think he’s a fast learner. That’s the biggest thing. He’s a fast learner, so it’s really easy for a good player that’s a fast learner to understand things,” said Maye. “And I think you try not to overload him and try to take it one thing at a time. But at the same time, you feel like he’s got a great capacity for knowledge of the game, knowledge of how he does things.
“I just like picking his brain about how they did things in Green Bay and try to say ‘How are we different? How are we similar?’ and how I see things. So, he played with a great quarterback there, and like I said, trying to build chemistry and get on the same page, and he’ll make some great plays for us.”
