Patriots
“They intend to pay him a lot of money.”
Despite drawing headlines after being taped in a now viral video on a boat, Stefon Diggs reportedly isn’t going to be parting ways with the Patriots any time soon.
Speaking on “The Insiders” Monday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Diggs’ standing with the Patriots is still secure — even after drawing the ire of head coach Mike Vrabel last week after being spotted on a boat in Florida with an unidentified substance.
“They intend to pay him a lot of money,” Rapoport said Monday of Diggs’ status in New England. “They haven’t yet, but they intend to pay him a lot of money especially after he passed the physical from his ACL recovery. He does seem to be on track. This is a player they want to keep, want to be making plays for them. That’s why they signed him in free agency.”
Diggs was spotted at New England’s OTA practices on Monday after missing last week’s media-attended session in Foxborough.
Diggs’ absence last week during the voluntary workouts — coming shortly after that video in Florida was posted — brewed up discourse that Diggs was already on the outs with his new team.
The video in question shows Diggs on a boat with several women in swimsuits — with the wide receiver at one point possessing a pouch that contained an unidentified pink substance.
Last week, Vrabel did not offer much in terms of whether or not the team had disciplined Diggs.
“Well, it’s something that we’re aware of. Obviously, we want to make great decisions on and off the field,” Vrabel said. “We’re hoping that with our time here on the field today, that when we don’t have a script and we’re on the call periods, that we’re making great decisions.”
Last week, 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Scott Zolak shared on air that the Patriots were at least considering releasing Diggs amid what had supposedly been a contentious preseason so far.
“It’s not just the boat,” Zolak said. “There are some other things that I’ve heard that put some things in question. Are you all-in here?”
Despite those rumblings, it looks as though New England still envisions Diggs as the potential No. 1 wide receiver who could elevate Drake Maye’s game in 2025 and beyond. Even after suffering a torn ACL in October 2024, Diggs still was able to land a three-year, $69 million contract from New England in free agency.
Speaking on the “Patriots Talk Podcast” with fellow NBC Sports Boston writer Phil Perry, longtime Patriots insider Tom E. Curran shared a similar message to Rapoport about Diggs’ job security.
“As we continue to monitor the situation from Memorial Day Weekend and what the fallout will be, the sense I’m getting is there will be no fallout based on what happened last weekend,” Curran said. “There’s been a lot of talk about it being on the table that Stefon Diggs could be released — I think the table has been put away. There’s nothing on the table regarding that. The table has been packed away.”
“Does that mean no punishment? No strong, sternly-worded message,” Perry asked.
“No tangible fallout that the eyes of the public or media will be able to discern,” Curran replied.
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