New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots made a big splash in free agency this offseason by signing Stefon Diggs and beefing up their wide receiver room. With training camp officially getting underway on Wednesday, one of Diggs’ new teammates, Hunter Henry, offered an encouraging update on his status.
The Patriots inked Diggs to a three-year, $63.5 million contract this offseason, even though he is recovering from a torn ACL that ended his season prematurely in Week 8 last year. However, throughout the offseason, Diggs has continued to make progress, appearing to be well ahead of schedule at times.
That point was all but confirmed when Diggs was given the green light to take the field and practice with the Patriots on Wednesday. Everyone is looking forward to seeing New England’s flashy new offensive weapon in action, and that includes Henry, who will be working alongside him at the tight end position.
“He’s doing great, man,” Henry said of Diggs, per Mike Kadlick of CLNS. “A guy that adds a lot of value here … it’s a tough injury and he’s done a tremendous job of staying focused, staying locked in. He looks really good.”
While it’s going to take time for Diggs to shake off the rust, he’s expected to emerge as second-year quarterback Drake Maye’s new favorite target on offense. In eight games with the Houston Texans last year, Diggs caught 47 passes for 496 yards and three touchdowns.
Of course, the guy who currently profiles as Maye’s favorite target is the ever-reliable Henry. In 16 games last season, Henry caught 66 passes for 674 yards and two touchdowns, and even with the addition of several new playmakers this offseason, he figures to remain a key component of the offense in 2025.
Getting Diggs back on the field this early into training camp is a huge win for New England, as it gives him more time to get on the same page as Maye and the rest of the offense. The more comfortable he can get now, the better the team will be come Week 1.
For now, though, the team will work on getting itself ready for the start of the new season. The first practice of training camp will take place on Wednesday morning, with the action getting underway at 10:15 a.m. ET.
