Coming into the 2025 season, one of the big questions for the Patriots was whether they’d done enough to build a wide receiver room that could adequately support second-year quarterback Drake Maye. There were a number of promising young pieces (Kayshon Boutte, Pop Douglas, Kyle Williams) and a respected veteran (Mack Hollins) but the ultimate question was at the top of the depth chart, where the Patriots had missed on some primary options but had managed to sign veteran Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs.
At the time, Diggs was coming off an ACL repair and it was not clear whether he’d be ready for the start of the season. It was also not clear what kind of condition he’d be in, at age 32, when he did get back on the field.
Seems like ages ago, right? Diggs has been outstanding as a leader on and off the field this season for the Patriots, and on Sunday in New York, in what was a blowout from the very start, he also earned himself a healthy payday: He has a $500,000 bonus in his contract for 80 catches, and caught his 80th pass on a second-quarter touchdown from Maye.
Stefon Diggs in Line for Another $500K From Patriots
By the time the first half wrapped, of course, Diggs was well in range for another major bonus–he gets $500,000 more for crossing the 1,000-yard mark. He needed 131 yards coming into the game, and had six catches for 101 yards after two periods.
While Diggs is not among the very top of the league leaders in receptions and yardage–he came into Week 17 at No. 21 in yardage and No. 14 in receptions–he has certainly reclaimed his place as one of the top receivers in the league in efficiency and smarts. Diggs caught 81.7% of the passes sent his way heading into Sunday’s game, the best percentage among receivers with at least 50 catches.
He is the No. 5-rated wide receiver in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus, and the three-year, $63.5 million contract the team gave him–with only $22.6 million guaranteed–looks like a sheer bargain now.
Patriots Struck it Big With New WR
Of all the receivers the Patriots might have gotten coming into this season–Chris Godwin, DK Metcalf, Brandon Aiyuk–all have been vastly outperformed by Diggs. And Maye is grateful, as he mentioned this week.
“You have no idea what he means to this team,” Maye said. “He’s a leader. He’s been great in the locker room. He wants the football in his hand and deservingly so. He just keeps showing up and making plays. He’s doing it at a really high level. He’s just bouncing back and vocal and he’s awesome to play with.”
Stefon Diggs: ‘I Worked for It’
Diggs, for his part, knows he has found a place to rejuvenate his career in New England, and that he could be the Patriots leading man at least for the next couple of years.
“I worked for it,” Diggs said. “You know, people get distracted by off the field stuff, but I’m always locked in, and when it’s football, I’m all football. I work for it, I prepare for it, I expect success, and I look at it as in I want the biggest for my team to want to lean on me. I’m a leader on this team and leadership just doesn’t come from chatting or talking the part, it’s about making plays. In the biggest moment, you know, lean on me. I can usually figure it out.”
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