ClutchPoints
The New England Patriots swapped star wide receivers this offseason, cutting Stefon Diggs and then making a trade for A.J. Brown with the Philadelphia Eagles.
However, it’s clear that the Patriots aren’t done improving. Kayshon Boutte has seen his name thrown in trade rumors this offseason, and there is still plenty of time for the Pats to improve their roster. One possible option is bringing Diggs back, as he is still a few agent.
On Wednesday at mandatory minicamp, head coach Mike Vrabel was asked about potentially bringing Diggs back. While he credited Diggs, he also totally shut down the idea that he could be back in a Patriots uniform this fall, via Mike Reiss of ESPN.
“I think we’re probably at the number we would need right now,” Vrabel said, per Reiss. “I appreciate Stefon as a person and as a player. I don’t think that’s something we’re exploring. But I’d never say [never].”
Despite still nearly having some left in the tank, Diggs is still a free agent in large part because he pleaded not guilty to allegations of assault and strangulation this offseason. A jury found Diggs not guilty, but teams are still understandably avoiding the extra attention.
After suffering a serious knee injury in 2024, Diggs had a bounce-back season for the Patriots a year ago. Despite being in his first season with the team, he quickly became the top target for Drake Maye. In 17 games, the former All-Pro caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns, so it’s clear that he can still be a contributor on a playoff team.
Whether Diggs gets that chance, at age 32 with both injury concerns and character concerns, remains to be seen. The Patriots can use some more help at receiver, but it’s clear that the former Bills star is not going to be the solution to that problem. They can use a Boutte trade to acquire another wideout, or they can just roll into the regular season with what they have and ask Drake Maye to lift the supporting cast once again.
The post Patriots’ Mike Vrabel dumps cold water on possible Stefon Diggs reunion appeared first on ClutchPoints.
