A lot of pundits saw the decision the New England Patriots faced with wide receiver Stefon Diggs this offseason as a difficult one. But before NFL free agency began, the team elected to move on.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on March 4 the Patriots were releasing Diggs. NFL.com’s Nick Shook wrote the decision was “purely financially motivated.”
New England parted ways with the receiver before an additional $6 million became fully guaranteed in his contract.
A week later, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox argued the Patriots will regret that decision.
“Diggs’ numbers might not have matched the three-year, $63.5 million contract he signed last offseason. However, he was still New England’s most reliable perimeter threat and one of the most efficient receivers in the NFL,” wrote Knox on March 11.
“The 32-year-old led the NFL in ESPN Analytics’ Catch Score by a large margin—Diggs had a catch score of 97, while George Kittle and Kayshon Boutte tied with a Catch Score of 91.
“Now, there may have been more than money in play with the Patriots’ decision—Diggs has ongoing legal issues stemming from assault allegations. The Patriots also grabbed former Green Bay Packers receiver Romeo Doubs with a four-year, $80 million deal.”
In his only season with the club, Diggs posted 85 catches for 1,013 receiving yards and four touchdowns. No other Patriots receiver had more than 551 yards in 2025.
Diggs counted as a $10.5 million cap hit during last season. In 2026, he was set to have a $26.5 million cap figure.
Why Patriots Released Stefon Diggs
Just looking at the finances, there were multiple reasons for New England to move on from Diggs.
Yes, the Patriots saved money as an organization. But the team also had more cap dollars available to spend this offseason after parting with the wideout.
While Diggs led New England in receptions and receiving yards last season, he disappeared against the best defenses during the playoffs. In four postseason games, Diggs registered 14 catches for 110 yards with one touchdown.
During the playoffs, he averaged 27.5 yards per game and 7.9 yards per catch.
That’s not the statistics of an elite receiver. So, it’s understandable the Patriots didn’t want to pay him like one.
Will New England Be Able to Replace Diggs?
Without Diggs, the Patriots made receiver a free agent priority. New England agreed to terms on a 4-year contract with wideout free agent Romeo Doubs.
There have been mixed figures on the financial terms of Doubs’s deal. ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler reported Doubs received $80 million, but the contract might be closer to $68 million with an opportunity for it to go $12 million higher based on incentives.
Regardless of the price, the question is whether Doubs is ready to be a WR1 in New England.
Doubs led the Green Bay Packers in receiving yards last season. He also had a career high total in 2025.
But Doubs’s stat line was far from the one Diggs produced in 2025 — 724 yards on 55 catches. Doubs has never eclipsed the 750-yard mark in his career.
Diggs is older, so he’s no longer in his prime like Doubs. But Diggs has registered seven 1,000-yard seasons, including one last year.
The Patriots, though, might not be done adding this offseason. NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported New England could still acquire another receiver this offseason.
The biggest wideout move the Patriots could make is an A.J. Brown trade. But the Philadelphia Eagles have not come down in their price for the All-Pro receiver.
Brown paired with Doubs would all but ensure the Patriots don’t regret moving on from Diggs. But even without Brown, New England still has free agency options and the 2026 draft to add another wideout to help replace Diggs.
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