Less than a month after reaching the Super Bowl together, the Patriots could cut Stefon Diggs if the veteran receiver does not agree to a restructured deal.
If the 32-year-old Diggs hopes to return to New England, “he must restructure his contract to lower the cap hit” from its present value of $26.5 million, a source told MassLive.
Diggs led the Pats with 85 receptions and 1,013 receiving yards and scored four touchdowns in 17 games last season after signing a three-year deal worth $63.5 million last March via free agency.
He is also facing legal issues with a pretrial court date scheduled for April 1 after pleading not guilty to a felony charge of strangulation and a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery involving a woman.
The Patriots, who improved by 10 wins from 4-13 in 2024 to an AFC East-leading 14-3 last season under first-year coach Mike Vrabel, would save $16.8 million on the cap if they release Diggs and up to $20.8 million if they cut the 11-year NFL veteran with a post-June 1 designation.
Diggs also has $6 million in guaranteed money due on March 13, and the team is “working toward a resolution” and “should have this situation resolved in the coming weeks,” MassLive reported.
The report also cited a second source predicting that Diggs will be “unwilling” to rework his deal, and that the organization already is talking about replacing his production alongside quarterback Drake Maye.
One potential name linked to the Pats is trade candidate A.J. Brown of the Eagles, with Mass Live outlining the possibility of both veterans ending up on the 2026 roster if Diggs’ deal gets reworked.
The 28-year-old Brown, who played for Vrabel with the Titans for three seasons from 2019-21, had 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven TDs for Philadelphia last year.
He is set to earn $29 million with a $23.4 million cap hit on the final season of a three-year deal.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
