The New England Patriots brought in star wide receiver Stefon Diggs to be quarterback Drake Maye’s top target, but now there’s an issue.
Diggs has made headlines of late due to his off-field behavior at a boat party, and there’s speculation on what substance he was using. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel addressed the incident with the media on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after Diggs’ incident made waves in a NSFW video on social media.
“Well, it’s something that we’re aware of. Obviously, we want to make great decisions on and off the field,” Vrabel told reporters on Wednesday. “We’re hoping that with our time here on the field today, that when we don’t have a script and we’re on the call periods, that we’re making great decisions.”
“The message will be the same for all our players, that we’re trying to make great decisions. Any conversations that I’ve had with Stefon will remain between him, I and the club,” Vrabel added.
The Patriots have not issued any disciplinary actions for Diggs at this time. In addition, Vrabel doubled down on Diggs’ status.
“I talk to our players every single day, the ones that are here and the ones that aren’t,” Vrabel said.
He went on to admit that Diggs wouldn’t be at Wednesday’s practice but didn’t give further details either. Diggs signed a three-year, $63.5 million deal this offseason to become Maye’s top target.
Stefon Diggs’ Presence Last Week Raises Questions
GettyStefon Diggs makes a touchdown catch against the Patriots in 2024.
Vrabel still wasn’t done with questions about Diggs since the former Houston Texans wideout practiced with the Patriots last week. MassLive’s Karen Guregian addressed that with Vrabel during the press conference.
“Everything that we’re going to do, Karen, is we’re going to coach the guys that show up at 8:00 a.m., the ones that say, ‘Hey, I’ve got a situation, we’ll be here at 8:05 a.m.,’ we’ll coach those as well,” Vrabel said. “This is a voluntary part of our off-season program. Every player that’s not here, which there aren’t many, have been in communication with me and their position coaches.”
Diggs donned his new No. 8 jersey at organized team activities on May 23, and he was photographed catching passes. The former Maryland star has been a reliable pass-catcher throughout his 10-year NFL career.
Mike Vrabel Provides Update on Stefon Diggs’ Injury
Boat incident aside, questions remain on how soon Diggs will be 100% since he endured an ACL tear during the 2024 season. Diggs’ presence on the practice field last week hasn’t put that question to rest since drills don’t replace full game speed.
“Again, the timelines and the prognosis and everything, we’re working hard to get him back and to be ready to go,” Vrabel said. “When he’s here, we’ll coach him and we’ll have him ready to go.”
Once the Patriots have Diggs on the field, he could be the strongest receiver the team has had since Julian Edelman. Diggs has 857 catches for 10,491 yards and 70 touchdowns in his career.
Since Diggs’ injury occurred in October 2024, his availability for Week 1 of the 2025 seasons remains in doubt. ACL recovery time generally takes between eight or nine months according to UC Health.
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