Pro Football Rumors
In the final days of the calendar year, Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs found himself facing legal trouble stemming from an alleged incident in early December. According to Travis Anderson of The Boston Globe, Diggs will not need to miss time for legal proceedings after a judge granted his request to postpone the arraignment until February 13, five days after Super Bowl LX.
The allegations, which Diggs has denied, see the veteran pass catcher facing a charge of felony strangulation or suffocation and a charge of misdemeanor assault and battery on a personal chef. The female chef was allegedly working as a private chef for Diggs when a financial dispute arose. In a police report, she alleged that Diggs entered her unlocked bedroom and, as the dispute continued in-person, “smacked her across the face.” She then claims that Diggs “tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck” and that she feared she may pass out as a result.
David Meier, Diggs’ attorney, has asserted Diggs innocence, claiming that the actions as the alleged victim has stated them “did not occur.” He classified the situation as “an employee-employer financial dispute that was not resolved to the employee’s satisfaction,” and announced that Diggs “looks forward to establishing the truth in a court of law.” At the same time, Meier also made it known that Diggs is seeking a financial resolution with his accuser.
Diggs’ teammate, defensive tackle Christian Barmore, is facing domestic assault charges of his own, which emerged the day after Diggs’ situation hit the media circuit. The NFL has released a statement recently to say that both players remain eligible to play as the postseason is set to begin this weekend. If the team does end up getting as far as the Super Bowl, Barmore will likely need to request a similar postponement. His arraignment is currently scheduled for February 3, five days before the league’s season finale.
Assuming New England wins its first two playoff games, though, both Diggs and Barmore should remain available throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs. This is ideal news for an offense that has seen Diggs’ receiving yards total (1,013) nearly double that of the next closest receiver (Kayshon Boutte, 551).
