Stefon Diggs signs with New England Patriots on three-year, $69M deal despite ACL injury

No more waiting on “development years.” No more pretending the wide receiver room can survive on effort alone. The New England Patriots have signed Stefon Diggs to a three-year, $69 million deal—$26 million guaranteed. Yes, the same Stefon Diggs who tore his ACL just months ago. Yes, they gave him that contract anyway.
And they’re right to.

Stefon Diggs spent 2024 in Houston. It was a mess. CJ Stroud struggled behind a collapsing offensive line. Diggs caught 47 passes for 496 yards and three touchdowns in just eight games. Then came Week 8. ACL tear. Done for the year.
And yet, he signs a max deal with the Patriots. Because they watched the tape.
Before that injury? Six straight 1,000+ yard seasons. Two with the Minnesota Vikings. Four with the Buffalo Bills. Four straight Pro Bowls. The guy was that guy.
Now the New England Patriots are hoping he still is. Drake Maye—who’s walking into Year 2 with a new head coach and sky-high expectations—just got handed the first real WR1 the team’s had since, what, Randy Moss?
“New Patriots WR Stefon Diggs ... is on track to return for Week 1 of the upcoming season,” wrote ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That’s what the Patriots are banking on. That, and the belief that Diggs still has something left in the tank.
He visited New England last week—dinner, meetings, physical. Left without a deal. A few days later? Inked. The Patriots didn’t overthink it. They just did it.
This is a team that hasn’t had a 1,000-yard receiver in years. Their current lineup? Kendrick Bourne. DeMario Douglas. Ja’Lynn Polk. Mack Hollins. Respectfully, that’s not moving chains.


Now that Stefon Diggs is gone, the wide receiver free agency market just got bleak. Davante Adams stayed put. Chris Godwin’s not leaving Tampa.
Which leaves two big names: Amari Cooper and Brandon Aiyuk.
Amari Cooper is 30 and might be cheaper than ever. Las Vegas Raiders make sense—they drafted him, after all. He played some of his best football there before being shipped to the Dallas Cowboys in 2018. The Raiders just brought in Geno Smith, have Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers, but still need help. Cooper’s experience and low price tag could work.
The New Orleans Saints could also use him. They’re broke, and Cooper fits the bill—reliable, affordable, and ready to play second fiddle to Chris Olave, who’s had injury trouble.
As for Brandon Aiyuk—he’s not a free agent, but the San Francisco 49ers are listening to offers. The Tennessee Titans could be a perfect fit. They’re likely drafting a QB with the No. 1 pick. Give that rookie a solid No. 1 target? That’s how you build smart.
Carolina Panthers should be in that mix too. Bryce Young looked better late last season, but Adam Thielen isn’t carrying anyone anymore. Aiyuk gives them firepower now, while Xavier Legette continues to develop.

The Patriots didn’t need “safe.” They needed talent. They needed production. Stefon Diggs, even fresh off surgery, is better than anything they’ve had in years.
It’s a risk—no doubt. He’s 31. He’s coming off a major injury. And he’s expensive.
But this is the price of relevance. You want Drake Maye to become the guy? Give him someone who’s done it before. Who’s been the guy on multiple teams.
Stefon Diggs will wear red, white, and blue in 2025. And for the first time in years, the Patriots don’t just look busy—they look serious.