While the New England Patriots have been celebrated for their quick and massive turnaround this season, going from back-to-back 4-13 seasons to 14-3, three playoff wins and a place in the Super Bowl, the story has been obscured is that two of the drivers of that turnaround–star receiver Stefon Diggs and defensive lineman Christian Barmore–are facing serious legal issues stemming from domestic violence accusations.
Diggs was charged with felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery stemming from an incident on December 2 with his personal chef, who alleged Diggs had hit and attempted to choke her. Diggs denied the charges, and his arraignment was moved until February 13, after the Super Bowl.
Now, Barmore’s arraignment will get the same treatment. Barmore had a hearing before a judge on Tuesday, who agreed to postpone the arraignment, which was scheduled for February 3–five days before the Super Bowl–until March. Barmore was charged with misdemeanor domestic assault in late December, according to the Boston Globe, “for allegedly throwing the mother of his child to the floor earlier this year.”
Christian Barmore Denies Charges
Barmore, too, denies the charges, and even though both Patriots players have no pushed accusations of very bad actions beyond the Super Bowl, both remain both in legal jeopardy and in potential trouble with the NFL office, which can take action against Barmore and/or Diggs heading into the 2026 season once their legal cases are determined.
Neither Diggs nor Barmore have weighed in much on their situations, as would be expected, but Barmore’s lawyer proclaimed his innocence after the charge became public.
“We are confident that the evidence will demonstrate that no criminal conduct took place,” attorney David E. Meier said in the statement, via the Globe. “Based on the facts and the law, we expect that this personal matter will be resolved in the near future and both parties will move forward together.”
GettyStefon Diggs of the New England Patriots
Patriots Stars Will Still Face Legal System
While Diggs has gotten plenty of credit for coming back from a torn ACL and fueling a turnaround in the Patriots’ receiver room–what had been one of the worst groups of receivers in the NFL in 2024–Barmore probably deserves as much credit for the way he played on the defensive front, which is the heart of the New England defense.
Barmore, a second-round pick in 2021 who is one of the few Bill Belichick holdovers still on the team, saw his career hit the skids in 2024 when he played only four games after suffering blood clots before the season. He tried to play through the issue, but recurring symptoms knocked him out and raised questions about whether he’d play again.
He played all 17 games this year, and all three playoff games, a total of 793 snaps, and logged 58 pressures. Barmore had eight pressures from his d-line spot in the team’s three playoff games.
Like Diggs, Barmore has been redemption story for the Patriots all season. But like Diggs, good performance on the field will not erase bad behavior off the field. Both will get their days in court to sort out guilt and innocence, and those days will occur after February 8.
Patriots Get Major Update on Star’s Legal Accusation Before Super Bowl