The Patriots wide receiver has played his fewest percentage of snaps in the last three games.
Stefon Diggs has played fewer snaps in recent weeks. (Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff)
December 19, 2025 | 2:05 PM
3 minutes to read
Stefon Diggs has seen his playing time decrease in recent weeks, but Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels insists that he isn’t punishing the star wide receiver in any way.
McDaniels told reporters that there was “no special reason” for Diggs’s snaps shrinking over the Patriots’ last few games, explaining it was more circumstantial than anything else.
“There’s a lot of guys that got fewer snaps on Sunday because we didn’t earn enough snaps in the game,” McDaniels said. “And so, we look at it, Stef has done a great job and so whether it’s Stef, or TreVeyon [Henderson], who played in the 20s on Sunday — I’d love TreVeyon to play in the 50s — but when you don’t have 50 plays, it’s hard for us to establish that volume for any one player. Look, they all should want to play as many snaps as we have. That’s an impossibility because I know we’re using everybody and trying to get contributions from all of them.
“But I think for us, and for me specifically, let’s see if we can establish more rhythm on both the first half, second half, get the play count up into the high 60s or 70s, and now I think the opportunities for every player on the team go up. So, no, there’s no special reason for that.”
McDaniels’s point about the Patriots’ total number of snaps is certainly valid. The 52 offensive snaps they had in their Week 15 loss to the Bills were their second-fewest number of offensive snaps in a game this season. Drake Maye’s 23 pass attempts were also tied for the second-fewest amount of throws he’s had in a game in 2025.
But Diggs’s percentage of snaps has decreased as well. He’s played 50 percent of the team’s offensive snaps or fewer in each of the last three games. In terms of snap percentage, the last three games are the fewest snaps Diggs has played this season.
As a result, Diggs’s production has also taken a hit. He’s logged just eight receptions for 72 yards in the last three games, which is by far his quietest three-game stretch this season.
Diggs had seen fewer snaps this year relative to the rest of his career prior to the last three games. The 56.9 percent of offensive snaps Diggs played in the first 11 games would’ve been a career low, as he’s played in at least 75 percent of his team’s offensive snaps in each of the first 10 seasons of his career.
Of course, Diggs is also in his first season back from an ACL tear and turned 32 in late November. So, the Patriots might be managing his workload a bit.
Still, the decreasing number of snaps Diggs has played is unusual for him, with the receiver admitting that he’s “just trying to get used to it.”
“It was kind of the same in the beginning of the year, too,” Diggs told reporters on Wednesday. “I just try to take advantage of the opportunities I do get and when I am out there, be a vessel, be a positive force rather than being any other way. I’m adjusting to it. I just try to do what I’m asked and handle it the best way I can.
“I always want to be out there. I want to make plays, and I want to play at a high level. We have a lot of skill guys. We’ve got a lot of amazing players. I’m just doing what I can.”
Diggs, who signed a three-year deal to join the Patriots in March, leads the team in receptions (67) and receiving yards (731) this season, adding three touchdowns. Tight end Hunter Henry has filled the role as Maye’s top target over the last few games, posting 12 receptions for 206 yards in that three-game stretch.
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