NFL fans ruthlessly slammed Stefon Diggs after the New England Patriots star wide receiver appeared to “turn his back” on the American flag during Super Bowl LX
18:52 ET, 08 Feb 2026Updated 22:15 ET, 08 Feb 2026
Stefon Diggs turned his back to the field during the Super Bowl National Anthem(Image: Getty Images)
New England Patriots star wide receiver Stefon Diggs opted to once again “turn his back” on the American flag during the pre-game National Anthem at Super Bowl LX despite previously coming under fire for the act.
As American singer-songwriter Charlie Puth belted out the lyrics to ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ in front of a sold-out crowd at Levi’s Stadium on Super Sunday, Mirror U.S. Sports spotted Diggs — who recently handed a brutal reality check to his teammates — bouncing up and down while facing the stands instead of the field.
Once Puth’s rendition drew to a close, Diggs b-lined towards the Patriots’ bench before staring daggers at members of the audience. It came shortly before Trump erupted at a “disgusting” part of the Super Bowl and branded it a “slap in the face” to America.
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NFL fans did little to hide their frustration with Diggs following the display, with an X user writing: “Totally disrespectful, hopefully coach will have a serious discussion with that player!!!” Someone else argued, “Least deserving person to be there tbh.”
This isn’t the first instance of Diggs looking away from the American flag during the National Anthem — though it seems more like a pre-game ritual than a political protest akin to former quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling stance.
Prior to kickoff during the Patriots’ 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Conference Championship, CBS cameras caught the 32-year-old similarly looking towards the crowd as country singer Nathaniel Rateliff sang the anthem at Mile High.
At the time, social media was quickly flooded with viewers criticizing Diggs for what they deemed was a disrespectful act.
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“Stefon Diggs turning his back to the anthem and flag is hilarious. What a moral high ground he has,” one person commented, while another questioned: “Why did Stefon Diggs do jumping jacks with his back to the flag during the National Anthem? Very disrespectful!!”
A third chimed in, “Just watched Diggs turn his back on the National Anthem. Wonder if he realizes this accomplishes nothing but make him look stupid.”
Less than an hour before he ruffled some feathers during the Anthem on Super Sunday, Diggs gave one final pre-game speech to his teammates. “Bring it in tight. Bring it in tight now,” he yelled as Patriots players began huddling around him.
“Come on now, come on,” he began. “It was about going to the Super Bowl. 90% of them motherf—— said, ‘I want to win a Super Bowl, not just go,’ man. I ain’t come here for nothing, man. It’s all about us. It ain’t about them.
Stefon Diggs has drawn backlash for his National Anthem antics in the past(Image: Getty Images)
“High energy, execution, and let’s be us. And I hate to say it. I heard the whispers, bro. Nobody liked us, but I liked us. And the last thing I’m going to leave y’all with is we all we got, we all we need. Gang on three.”
Since inking a three-year, $63.5 million contract with the Patriots last March, Diggs has swiftly solidified himself as one of the most vocal leaders inside New England’s locker room.
The veteran wideout has additionally cemented himself as one of quarterback Drake Maye’s most reliable targets, hauling in 11 catches for 73 yards and a touchdown over three playoff games entering the Super Bowl.