Drake Maye reacted to Stefon Diggs’ release in the simplest of ways.
The Patriots’ star quarterback posted an Instagram story of himself and Diggs smiling back at each other with a heart emoji.
Diggs, who developed a strong connection with Maye on the field, was let go by the franchise on Wednesday after just one season in New England.
Diggs signed a three-year, $63.5 million deal with the Patriots last offseason.
Cutting the veteran saved the team a $6 million roster bonus that was set to kick in on March 13.
Diggs, who played for the Texans in 2024 before suffering a torn ACL, thanked the organization in an Instagram post of his own after the news broke.
“THANK YOU for a hell of a year. We family forever,” he wrote, tagging the Patriots.
Diggs was productive when suiting up for New England, leading the team with 85 catches and 1,013 receiving yards.
But a number of off-field issues marred his lone season with the franchise.
Before the season, a video of Diggs waving around a pink substance while partying on a boat went viral, starting his Patriots tenure on the wrong note.
Diggs was then charged with assault for allegedly choking his personal chef in December.
Later, he went through a very public breakup with rapper Cardi B since New England’s Super Bowl loss to the Seahawks last month.
Now a free agent, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler circled the Giants and Titans as possible fits for Diggs, although it may not happen right away for the veteran pass catcher.
“At age 32, Diggs will not be a top-of-market receiving option and might need to wait for the second wave of free agency,” Fowler reported Wednesday.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
