Pittsburgh Steelers, Stefon Diggs
Stefon Diggs sends clear message about Commanders rookie Antonio Williams' future 1
Stefon Diggs took the practice field with the Washington Commanders for the first time on Friday, two days after agreeing to a one-year deal worth up to $12 million, and he spent a good portion of his first media session talking about a teammate he has barely worked with. The subject was Antonio Williams, the rookie wide receiver Washington selected 71st overall out of Clemson in April.
Speaking to reporters afterward, Diggs delivered the endorsement with a joke about rookie anonymity attached to it.
“Young guy 14 can hoop a little bit,” Diggs said. “Young guys don’t get a name in the beginning, you just call them by their number, but he can hoop a little bit. He’s got some game and hopefully I can be a piece in that process.”
Patriots Star Stefon Diggs Sued for Defamation Amid Assault Allegations Days Before Super BowlPatriots Star Stefon Diggs Sued for Defamation Amid Assault Allegations Days Before Super Bowl
Patriots Star Stefon Diggs Sued for Defamation Amid Assault Allegations Days Before Super Bowl (Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images)
Williams had been taking extended reps throughout camp while Diggs remained unsigned, and Washington had been pleased with what it saw. ESPN reported that the two are similar enough in how the offense wants to use them that the overlap was part of the calculation. Williams joins Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane in a young receiver group the Commanders have drafted in recent years, none of whom had settled the question of who lines up opposite Terry McLaurin.
“14 can hoop a little bit. Young guys don’t get a name in the beginning. You just call them by their number.” 😂 pic.twitter.com/nT26CrNO30
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 7, 2026
What the Diggs signing actually does to Antonio Williams’ rookie season
That question now has an answer, and it is not the one Williams was working toward. Before Wednesday, the rookie was on track to open the season as the No. 2 target for Jayden Daniels. He is more likely to open it third.
Diggs led the New England Patriots in receiving last season and cleared 1,000 yards for a team that reached Super Bowl LX. He did that on barely more than half of New England’s offensive snaps, in his first season back from a serious knee injury.
Clemson Tigers, Antonio WilliamsClemson Tigers, Antonio Williams
Clemson wide receiver Antonio Williams(0) watches the Tigers play Troy from the sidelines during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, September 6, 2025.
The last line of Diggs’ answer pointed at the other side of it. Williams will see fewer targets than he would have a week ago, and he will also spend his rookie year lining up beside two receivers who have run every route he is being asked to learn.
New offensive coordinator David Blough, promoted after Washington parted with Kliff Kingsbury, now has the deepest set of options Daniels has worked with in Washington.
The contract runs one season, which puts a fairly clear date on all of this. Williams gets a year of learning before the role he was briefly handed comes back to him, and by 2027 the Commanders will need him to hold it. For now he is the guy in the No. 14 jersey, which is exactly how Diggs introduced him.