It’s clear at this point that Stefon Diggs is no lock to be a Patriot in 2026, and that the team is keeping all options open.
Head coach Mike Vrabel and executive VP of player personnel Eliot Wolf both had chances to affirm their commitment to Diggs as a piece of the future in New England, both short-term and long-term. Instead, they offered relatively vague comments that allow for the possibility that they move on from the veteran receiver after just one season.
Vrabel was asked a question involving Diggs’ future, and kept it to what has already transpired, while keeping future talks broadened to the whole team and not just Diggs himself.
“It’s not just about his future, it’s about what he was able to do for us,” Vrabel said of Diggs. “I think just a really good presence each and every week. And so, as we look to evaluate the football team, we’re doing that constantly, myself, and Ryan and (VP of football ops John) ‘Stretch’ (Streicher) and Eliot (Wolf)’s staff.
“Those conversations for each and every player are happening, and the meetings in-between with the draft players here. There’s a lot of things we’ll do between now and the time that the football season starts, so that’s going to be the same with, I would say, most every player on our roster.”
As for Wolf, when asked about Diggs, he kept it to simply: “I’m not going to get into any specific players today. There are certain conversations that we’re having, and we’ll see what happens with everyone.”
But that alone was telling. Wolf was also asked about the Patriots interior defensive line, and specifically named Khyiris Tonga and Cory Durden as two players they’re “excited to have”–even though both are on track to become free agents. So Wolf obviously wasn’t applying the same rule to every player.
Diggs has $6 million set to become fully guaranteed on March 13. If that kicks in, it will officially push Diggs over his total guaranteed money on the deal he signed with the Patriots. He’s on the books for a $20.6 million base salary in 2026, after that number was just $2.9 million in 2025.
Essentially, the Patriots have to decide whether they want to keep and pay Diggs at that number, and if they don’t, then they might as well cut him prior to March 13. Cutting Diggs pre-June 1 would result in $16.8 million in new cap space. This would only leave them on the hook for $4.1M more in guaranteed real money, based on what they’ve already paid and the total guarantees (via data at Over The Cap). That’s a lot more palatable than paying another $22.5M cash for a player that did things they liked in his first year, but maybe not enough to earn their full commitment.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Diggs caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns in the 2025 season, an effective rebound from an injury-shortened 2024 campaign in Houston. But he averaged just 3.5 catches and 27.5 yards per game in the playoffs and is now 32 years old. It’s fair for the Patriots, and for anyone, to wonder whether Diggs would be worth more than $20 million at this stage of his career.
The veteran also commanded attention from opposing defenses to a level not seen for the Pats in recent years at the position, even in the playoffs. But Diggs wasn’t able to beat that extra attention, and the Patriots may be better suited replacing that role–and that spot in the payroll– with a player they can better rely on to separate against top-level competition and consistently make explosive plays with Drake Maye in the passing game.
Vrabel also acknowledged Diggs’ legal situation, and expects the Patriots to let that process play out. But that wasn’t likely to play a big role in their decision, certainly not as much as his price tag and whether it would be commensurate to his on-field performance.
The Patriots are obviously busy with the Combine at the moment, but this week is also an opportunity to gauge any potential interest from other teams in Diggs’ services, and/or get in touch with his camp about possibly restructuring his contract or exploring any avenues other than simply going forward with him as it stands. Though the Pats have moves to make and areas to improve, their decision with Diggs is still one of the bigger things to monitor in the coming weeks.
Matt, a North Andover, Massachusetts native, has been with The Sports Hub since 2010. Growing up the son of Boston University All-American and Melrose High School hall-of-fame hockey player Steve Dolloff, sports was always a part of his life. After attending Northeastern University, Matt focused his love of sports on writing, extensively writing about all four major Boston teams. He also is a co-host of the Sports Hub Underground podcast and is a regular on-air contributor on the Sports Hub. Matt writes about all New England sports from Patriots football to Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins.