FOXBOROUGH – Stefon Diggs always believed in himself.
At age 31 and coming off a knee injury, his moxie hasn’t changed. Now, the newest Patriots receiver hopes to connect with and help Drake Maye.
When the Patriots signed the veteran to a 3-year, $69 million contract on Tuesday, they added a legitimate Pro Bowl-caliber weapon to New England for the first time since the days of Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman.
On Friday, in his introductory press conference, Diggs said he’s excited about playing with the young quarterback.
“Oh, I’m excited. I really look forward to it,” Diggs said. “It’s crazy because when you ask around, he has a lot of similarities; well, people say through the grapevine he acts a lot like Josh [Allen]. And you know, that was my guy. So, I look forward to meeting him and connecting with him.”
With Allen, Diggs became a premier receiver in the league. From 2020-2023, his four seasons in Buffalo saw him finish with four straight Pro Bowl honors. He was also named an All-Pro twice with Allen at quarterback That included in 2020 when he led the NFL in receptions (127) and receiving yards (1,535).
Due to his size, arm strength, and athleticism, Maye has drawn comparisons to the Bills quarterback. Diggs’ introduction to Maye came last season in Week 6 when the then-rookie quarterback made his NFL debut against the Houston Texans.
Maye finished with 243 yards to go with three touchdowns and two interceptions in his debut. Diggs caught six passes for 77 yards and a touchdown in the Texans win.
“We played him last year and he showed a lot of fight. He has that fiery quarterback, ‘I want to win’ mindset,” Diggs said. “So that’s something I get excited about and love to be around. As far as his development as a quarterback, I feel like that’s not really too much of my job. My job is to get open and catch the ball. So, I just look forward to getting back out there and being one of the weapons for him.”
Diggs said his experience playing with multiple quarterbacks will help him work with Maye. At this point, it’s expected that this veteran will be the Patriots No. 1 receiver – when he’s on the field.
Last year, Diggs suffered a torn ACL in Week 8 and is still in the rehabilitation process. At the time, he was seventh in the NFL in receptions.
After signing with the Patriots, Diggs said he texted Maye. He’s looking forward to getting to know his new quarterback and is very confident he can make his life easier.
“I know what I’ve done in my past is my resume, but I’m really looking forward to putting my best foot in front of me,” Diggs said. “Even towards last year I was at like 47 receptions in like 450 or something like that — close to 500 yards. That’s halfway through the season. I would have been on pace to have a 1,000-yard season and 100 catches if I didn’t get banged up. If you’re doing the math right I would be productive.”
As far as what will make his stint in New England successful – Diggs said it’s simple.
“If I stay healthy,” Diggs said. “And the rest will take care of itself.”
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