It was a long offseason for Stefon Diggs. The star wide receiver was released by the New England Patriots, had a legal battle off the field, and then struggled to find a new team to sign with.
Now, that search for a new team appears to be over. Per Jordan Schultz, Diggs is signing a new contract with the Washington Commanders.
It’s going to be a one-year, $12 million deal with the Commanders. That’s after he previously signed a three-year, $63.5 million contract in 2025 with the Patriots. However, he only ended up playing one season of that deal before being released.
There had been some rumors that the Patriots may bring Diggs back on a new contract this offseason. However, with a crowded receiver room, that may have been wishful thinking by some fans and analysts. Instead, he’ll end up going close to Maryland, where he grew up.
Stefon Diggs Was the Best Wide Receiver for the New England Patriots in 2025
GettyNew England Patriots WR Stefon Diggs
Getting Stefon Diggs was a bit of a revelation at the time for the New England Patriots. For some time, going back to the Bill Belichick era, wide receiver had been a position of weakness. So, signing Diggs, even off a knee injury, gave the team hope for what it could accomplish.
On top of that, Diggs and Patriots quarterback Drake Maye quickly developed an excellent connection. That connection was too much for opposing defenses to ignore, creating opportunities for other receivers in the offense.
By the end of the regular season, Diggs had 85 receptions for 1,013 yards and 4 touchdowns. That led the Patriots in receiving. He’d add another 14 receptions for 110 yards and 1 touchdown during the team’s playoff run. That would end in the Super Bowl, falling short of a championship.
Despite all of that, the Patriots still released Diggs. There was some concern about potential regression, as well as his off-field legal issues, which may have contributed to that decision.
“We’re always looking for ways to improve the team, so not gonna say that anything’s final at any position on the roster,” Patriots EVP Eliot Wolf said at the time. “We wish Stefon the best. He was a tremendous player for us all season. I feel like wherever he goes next – if it’s elsewhere, if he comes back here – he’s gonna have a tremendous season.”
The Patriots Made Splash Moves to Replace Diggs
GettyNew England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown.
In the wake of moving on from Stefon Diggs, the Patriots made multiple moves at the wide receiver position. The first of those was to sign Romeo Doubs to a four-year, $68 million contract.
Doubs spent the first four seasons of his career with the Green Bay Packers. A season ago, he managed to snag 55 receptions for 724 yards and 6 touchdowns.
After that, the Patriots were consistently in rumors to trade for A.J. Brown. For salary cap reasons, that move didn’t come until the start of June, and it came at a hefty price. The Patriots sent a fifth-round pick and a first-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for him.
Together, along with the rapidly developing wide receiver room behind Brown and Doubs, the Patriots believe they have one of the best rooms in the entire NFL. So, bringing back Diggs, regardless of the price, became less necessary than addressing other issues.
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