Diggs, Patriots Agree on Deal

The Patriots gave Maye just what he needed.

The New England Patriots have finally acquired a No. 1 wide receiver. The organization has agreed to a three-year contract with former Houston Texans wideout Stefon Diggs on Tuesday, CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones reports. The deal is worth $69 million and includes $26 million guaranteed, according to ESPN.

This signing comes in the aftermath of Diggs making a free agent visit to Foxborough to meet with the Patriots. The 31-year-old left the visit without putting pen to paper on a contract, but the two sides remained in contact with each other and have now agreed to a deal that will make Diggs the newest weapon for second-year quarterback Drake Maye, out of the University of North Carolina.

It remains to be seen how soon Diggs will get back onto the field as he continues to recover from a torn ACL he sustained in Week 8 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. That cut Diggs’ one and only season with the Texans short after they landed him in a trade with the Buffalo Bills in April. As part of the deal, Diggs restructured his contract, which allowed him to hit free agency this offseason and ultimately end up in New England.

Diggs came into the league as a raw fifth-round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings back in 2015. The Maryland Terrapins product quickly emerged as a productive pass catcher within the Vikings offense and broke out with his first 100-catch, 1,000-yard season during his fourth year in the league in 2018. Then after some controversy in March of 2020, the Vikings struck a blockbuster trade with the Bills that sent Diggs to Buffalo and gave them a treasure trove of picks, including a first rounder that ended up being used on fellow wideout Justin Jefferson, who is now considered the best receiver in the game.

With the Bills and paired with Josh Allen, Diggs’ production skyrocketed, reaching an elite level. In his inaugural season in Buffalo (2020), he led the NFL in receptions (127) and receiving yards (1,535) and kicked off what would be a four-year run of Pro Bowl nods. He was also named an All-Pro in two of his four seasons with the franchise.

As for New England, this has been a long and painstaking process for the organization to find a top-of-the-line receiver to place as the go to guy on their depth chart. This offseason, the club made a significant run at Chris Godwin before he ultimately re-signed with the only team he has ever played for, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and had been linked to other pass-catchers throughout the league, but to no avail.

Diggs now comes to the Patriots as the obvious No. 1 receiver in a room consisting of Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Javon Baker, not exactly the greatest show on turf. New England’s 2024 wide receiver room produced a combined 1,723 yards receiving last season, the fewest in the NFL. It is now Diggs responsibility to help the Patriots offense soar well past its 2024 season lows.