Depending on whom you ask, Patriots star wide receiver Stefon Diggs is either in the midst of one of the great comebacks from a torn ACL in recent NFL history, or he is in the process of messing with us all and about to put forth a season in which substance does not come close to matching hype.
Diggs tore his ACL in October of 2024, so it was a surprise that he was on the field from the get-go in training camp. At times, too, he has looked brilliant, like a wily veteran who is prepped for another 1,000-yard season. This would give the Patriots the WR1 the franchise has so desperately lacked since … well, since Randy Moss, really.
Sure, Diggs comes with the “diva” label. And he has a checkered past in the NFL, including this spring when he popped up in a video on a boat, handling a small pink bag of an unnamed powder. The Patriots and coach Mike Vrabel swept that aside. But now Diggs is attracting attention again.
Stefon Diggs: ‘We’ll See About Week 1’
This week, Diggs spoke with Diana Russini on her “Scoop City” podcast and blew apart all that positive momentum. There was no question, it seemed, that Diggs was set to play in Week 1 this season. Until Russini asked him about it, that is.
“I’m just taking it day by day,” he said. “I feel great. I’m pushing the needle always. I’m always doing more than less. We’ll see about Week 1. I don’t know how I feel about it, we’ll see. Coaches aren’t too excited, I’m not too excited, I’m just trying to take it day by day. We’ll see. It looks like we just don’t know where it’s gonna go.”
Russini pressed the issue.
“I don’t know,” he said. “It’s up in the air right now. You gotta take that up with Coach Vrabel.”
Patriots’ Vrabel Claps Back
And just like that, we have another Diggs controversy on our hands.
NBC Sports Boston Patriots reporter Phil Perry questioned Vrabel about it.
“Did you really believe that, Phil [Perry]? I mean, you’re a smart guy. I don’t know where you went to school – it wasn’t Ohio State. But like, do you really believe that? Do you really believe that, Phil, or are you just trying to bait me into something?” Vrabel said.
Perry pointed out that this was something Diggs himself said.
“I don’t know the context in which he said it, but you’d have to help me. I mean, he’s been out here almost every day. I’m excited of where he’s at and we’ll see when Week 1 comes, but he’s going to practice today,” Vrabel said.
Perry, on NBC Sports Boston later, suggested Diggs was getting to be a “pain in the posterior” for Vrabel.
Patriots Media Dings Diggs
And thus the narrative on Diggs has shifted. MassLive’s Karen Guregian wrote that Diggs has disappeared from the Patriots offense.
This was after an impressive touchdown catch in 7-on-7s.
“There’s little disputing the fact that the star receiver, who was the team’s best wideout early in camp, has disappeared from the offense in recent days,” she wrote. “While he’s consistently been impressive in 1-on-1s, and 7-on-7s, he’s been an afterthought during full team drills.
“On Thursday, he didn’t have a catch during the 11-on-11 periods.”
That is true, but then, the entire Patriots wide-receiver corps was silent during 11-on-11s, as the line struggled with protecting Drake Maye. Repeatedly, Maye turned to dump-offs to his running backs.
Is that Diggs’ fault?
Diggs often digs (sorry) his own holes, and suggesting he might not be ready for Week 1 was probably not the best tack for him to take. But to toss out what he has shown in training camp because of it is a media overreaction, it seems.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Patriots’ Stefon Diggs Facing Backlash After Week 1 Comment appeared first on Heavy Sports.