Veteran receiver Stefon Diggs made his New England debut on Sunday. And while it wasn’t remarkable, his performance showed promise for the balance of the season to come.
The numbers — six catches for 57 yards on seven targets — were respectable. But he was only on the field for 31 snaps, 44 percent of the full complement of offensive plays.
He also drew praise from his new coach, Mike Vrabel.
“[I saw some energy from him](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcpK4eJPy5c),” Vrabel said during a Monday appearance on WEEI. “I saw some passion, and, you know, everybody just wants to win, and I don’t think that he’s too caught up on production. I think that we want to win and make the plays that we’re supposed to make and when the ball comes to you and finds you, you know, we have to be able to do something with it. That’s how this thing goes.”
For now, it’s going on a limited workload for Diggs. Which makes sense. Although he has recovered from a torn ACL suffered during the 2024 season, the Patriots are working him in.
It’s a long season. And it’s a solid start. His 57 yards outperformed other big-name receivers like Drake London (55 yards), Mike Evans (51 yards), Davante Adams (51 yards), Amon-Ra St. Brown (45 yards), Justin Jefferson (44 yards), Tyreek Hill (40 yards), Travis Hunter (33 yards), Tee Higgins (33 yards), Jaylen Waddle (30 yards), George Pickens (30 yards), Calvin Ridley (27 yards), and Ja’Marr Chase (26 yards).