Albert Breer doesn’t anticipate Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs sounding off anytime soon despite his quiet start.

That goes for Diggs both on the field and in the locker room. It’s the new reality of where Diggs is as a player and a teammate.

“I think you should expect something similar to what you see now,” Breer said during Patriots Pregame Live on Sunday before New England’s Week 4 matchup against the Carolina Panthers.

Breer believes Diggs’ relatively slow build toward production is based on the obvious: He’s less than one year removed from a torn ACL and is playing in his age-31 season.

“Even if he looks great in training camp, none of these guys are really fully back until they’re through at least a year post-op,” Breer said. “This is a guy who’s in his 30s now so he, at least on paper, will be a little bit slower than some younger players coming back from that injury. I think it’d be remiss not to mention that as a factor.”

Diggs entered the Week 4 matchup with 13 receptions for 112 yards through three games.

Breer reflected on Diggs’ role with the Texas last season before he suffered a torn ACL in late October. The four-time Pro Bowler was being used primarily in the slot because of how Houston felt about him playing outside opposite of star receiver Nico Collins.

“They didn’t think he could win outside, and I think what you’re seeing now is the reality of where Stefon Diggs is a player,” Breer said. “I don’t think there’s anything nefarious here or anything else. I think Stefon Diggs has actually got a pretty decent handle on where he is as a pro now. … He can’t run away from people the way he was, the way he could earlier in his career. So he’s had to reinvent himself, and reinventing himself means taking a little bit of a lesser role.”

Diggs played just over 50 percent of New England’s offensive snaps during the first three games. The offense’s desire to use multiple tight ends on the field at once, Breer said, has impacted his number of snaps.

Breer credited Diggs’ buy-in as a teammate, though. The veteran is working with Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas and other young players in the wide receiver room and has helped those players grow into professionals, Breer said.

“He’s been an A-plus teammate since the start of training camp,” Breer said. “He’s really been the guy who’s pushed a lot of the young skill players along, which matches up with a lot of the things you heard about him in Buffalo and Houston.”

In doing so, Diggs has contributed more than his play on the field might otherwise suggest.