From the moment wide receiver Stefon Diggs was found not guilty in court, there have been New England Patriots fans imagining a reunion with the team. Better yet, he could be paired with A.J. Brown in an upcoming trade. Except that is a dream that comes with a major obstacle to overcome.
The problem, simply put, is the money involved.
As it stands now, the Patriots have around $36 million in salary cap space. That’s actually pretty good, at about the fifth most. They won’t have that kind of salary cap space for long.
The Patriots still need to sign their first and second-round picks, Caleb Lomu and Gabe Jacas. That should amount to around $5 million. Then, New England will also be taking on Brown’s salary once that trade is made with the Philadelphia Eagles, about a $23 million cap hit. That’s going to leave the Patriots somewhere between $7 and $8 million to play with, or probably less than Diggs will sign for.
A season ago, when Diggs led the Patriots in receiving yards, he had a salary of better than $21 million. It’s safe to say that he’ll be looking to make more money than the Patriots can afford. So, for now, the dream of pairing Diggs and Brown up is just that, a dream.
New England Patriots Players Would Love a Reunion With Stefon Diggs
GettyStefon Diggs with the New England Patriots
Shortly after his court case, Stefon Diggs took to social media. There, he loudly advocated for himself to find a new team for the 2026 season, writing, “This is not an opinion-based sport, so here are the numbers. I played 52% of the snaps and finished with 85 catches for 1,045 yards coming off an ACL. Where we going?”
Several of Diggs’ New England Patriots teammates saw that post and responded in the comments, advocating he return to New England. Christian Gonzalez wrote, “To the pats.” Then, linebacker Bradyn Swinson added, “Bring yo ass back.”
Kyle Williams also sparked those rumors. Earlier in the offseason, he switched to wear the No. 8, which is the same number Diggs wore a season ago. Then, after Diggs was found not guilty, he had a change of heart and decided to leave the No. 8 open. That, of course, only led to more speculation.
The problem hasn’t changed for the Patriots, regardless of how the team feels. Diggs and Brown together are almost certainly too expensive to have on the same roster.
Romeo Doubs is Open to Playing with A.J. Brown
GettyPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown
With the excitement around the A.J. Brown trade rumors and the speculation about Stefon Diggs, it’s gone under the radar that the Patriots also signed Romeo Doubs at wide receiver. They did so, in large part, to replace Diggs.
Doubs is expecting a lot of responsibility in the offense. At the same time, he recently shared that he wouldn’t mind sharing that with Brown.
“I was true to my word when I came here that there is no number one guy in this offense. So, whatever it is I have to do, whether it’s playing into the strength more or playing on the backside every here and now, or even having (revolving roles), which I’m really familiar with because I’ve done it in Green Bay also,” Doubs said.
“I’m open to all roles. That’s just part of this league. You know, the more you can do, the more you can do for the team, the more you show for yourself, just things of that nature.”
By all accounts, Brown is going to be traded to the Patriots in June. So, it’s good that Doubs is on board with sharing the wide receiver room with another star.
The Major Problem to Overcome if the Patriots Want A.J. Brown and Stefon Diggs