Stefon Diggs to New England Patriots? Rumour mills churning as WR takes first free agency visit
ByTuhin Das Mahapatra
Mar 20, 2025 04:25 PM IST
Following an ACL injury, Stefon Diggs, a four-time Pro Bowl receiver, is exploring free agency, starting with the New England Patriots.
Four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs has reportedly begun exploring his options in free agency, with his first team visit taking place in Foxboro to meet with the New England Patriots, according to The Athletic.
Stefon Diggs #1 of the Houston Texans looks on from the sidelines prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium. (Photo by Alex Slitz / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP)
Stefon Diggs #1 of the Houston Texans looks on from the sidelines prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium. (Photo by Alex Slitz / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP)
NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Diggs continues recovering from an ACL tear that prematurely ended his 2024 season with the Houston Texans.
“The first visit for Stefon Diggs, who is a little over four months removed from ACL reconstruction,” he posted.
Once considered among the NFL's best receivers, Diggs, now 31, has suffered a drop in production over the past couple of seasons. The trauma he went through in Week 8 of his 2024 season with an ACL injury does not help ease the concerns about his durability either.
Plus, he has seen the carryover to yards and yards per catch carry over to his numbers, and things have been declining: His per-game receiving yards and his yards per catch are down, and he's in the midst of the longest 100-yard receiving drought of his career with 19 straight outings, and counting.
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Patriots pin future hopes on Drake Maye
The focus for New England is establishing the future around quarterback Drake Maye, taken third overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. Last season, the Patriots’ wide receivers were a league-bottom unit that managed just 1,723 receiving yards as a team.
Tight end Hunter Henry and wide receiver Demario Douglas led the team with 66 receptions each, with Henry also finishing as the team’s leading receiver with just 674 yards.
Diggs has remained highly productive since 2020, recording 492 receptions for 5,858 yards, both of which rank sixth in the NFL during that span. After being traded to the Buffalo Bills in 2020, he played a crucial role in the development of Josh Allen, the 2024 NFL MVP.
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Vikings rule out pursuit of Aaron Rodgers
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings have officially ruled themselves out as a potential landing spot for the 41-year-old quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, despite their need for a veteran presence under centre. NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero posted on X on Wednesday that Minnesota is not pursuing Rodgers.
“Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers’ options are now focused on the #Steelers and #Giants,” he wrote.
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Vikings’ focus seems to have been on second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Minnesota has rejected all offers to send McCarthy away, as multiple teams have asked to buy him, said Pelissero.
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