Stefon Diggs’ future with New England Patriots depends on judgment of his legal dispute with personal chef (Image via Getty: Stefon Diggs and Mike Vrabel) Trigger Warning: This story contains references to assault.New England Patriots star wide receiver Stefon Diggs faces assault and strangulation charges from an incident with his personal chef. He is allegedly accused of slapping her and attempting to choke her over money owed to her.On Feb. 13, Diggs appeared before a judge in Dedham District Court, Massachusetts, and a pre-trial hearing was set for April 1. Till then, he is not allowed to have any contact with the alleged victim in the case. Now, the outcome of this legal dispute will reportedly determine his future in New England.
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel gives a mixed response on Stefon Diggs
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel’s recent press conference revealed that the team will let Diggs’ legal process run its course and wait to see the judgment.“Those players, whether that’s Stefon or anybody else that has something,” Vrabel said. “Have done exactly what they’re supposed to do, been where they’re supposed to be, communicated with the court when they’re supposed to communicate with them.So, we’re going to let all that take care of itself, and then we’ll see what the judgments are in those particular cases.”
Stefon Diggs contract details
According to Spotrac, Diggs will enter the second year of his three-year contract worth $63.5 million, with $22.5 million guaranteed. For the 2026 season, he will earn a base salary of $20.6 million, a workout bonus of $200,000, while carrying a cap hit of $26.5 million and a dead cap value of $8 million.Mark Daniels of MassLive reports that if the Patriots cut the 32-year-old wide receiver, they will free up $16.8 million in cap space and be hit with a $9.7 million in dead money. If it goes beyond the June 1 designation, it frees up $20.8 million.Daniels suggests that New England approach the wideout about restructuring his contract, as that would be the best of both worlds. The team would have its best wide receiver without having to bear a $26.5 million cap hit on someone who will turn 33 in 2027.
Mike Vrabel wants football players that have same beliefs
Christian Barmore, another Patriots player, is also facing a legal dispute over an alleged domestic incident. Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan reported that investing in players like Barmore is not for him, because this was not the first time Barmore had a legal dispute.The 26-year-old defensive tackle is accused of allegedly throwing the mother of his two-year-old daughter to the ground. A woman submitted photos of her injuries from the alleged abuse to the police and said that Barmore threatened to have his cousin assault her.Discussing Barmore’s legal dispute and his future with New England, Vrabel said, “We want to make sure that these are just, in fact, accusations. We want to make sure that we have the right people on this football team. That’s the first thing that we want to do.I want to make sure that the people on this football team are the right people that we want on there that share the same beliefs, and the same work ethic, and the same values help us build an identity again. Then, we’ll evaluate the player for the player. Whenever any of those things come to light or there’s a decision, and we know more information, then we’ll make a decision on that.”