He’s widely viewed as the perfect supporting act for Terry McLaurin, but don’t tell Stefon Diggs that. Not when the newest member of the Washington Commanders still sees himself as a No. 1 receiver.
That’s supposed to be McLaurin’s domain, but Diggs used his first post-practice interview in a Commanders uniform to subtly challenge the established order.
Speaking to reporters after training camp on Friday, August 7, Diggs addressed a statement he made earlier this offseason about being the best No. 2 receiver in the NFL.
The 32-year-old explained, “in this job, you got to exude confidence. You know what I’m saying? I can’t go into anything saying something else. Like, I said two on camera, but in my heart you know I’m going to say one.”
It’s a bold statement, not least because Diggs has joined an offense where there’s already a clear-cut No. 1 receiver. Yet, that same wideout can’t quite match Diggs’ impressive production.
Diggs revealed his opinion of McLaurin, while also defending his own track record. It’s a record he can maintain thanks to his ideal match with star quarterback Jayden Daniels, as well as the role head coach Dan Quinn predicts for the four-time Pro Bowler.
Stefon Diggs Already Laying Down a Marker to Terry McLaurin, Fellow Receivers
He’s joined a crowded rotation led by five-time 1,000-yard receiver McLaurin, but Diggs is prepared to stack his stats up against anybody on the Commanders’ depth chart.
GettyMcLaurin and the rest of the Commanders’ receivers must up their respective games after Diggs’ arrival.
As the former New England Patriots playmaker put it, “my numbers have always spoke for themselves. No matter who you like or what you say, the production has been there. If you put my production versus any production, you know what I’m saying? I think I was the number 14th receiver last year and I was playing 52% of the snaps.”
Diggs has earned the right to be bullish about his body of work because he’s posted seven 1,000-yard campaigns. He also earned All-Pro honors as a member of the Buffalo Bills in 2020.
While he wasn’t quite at All-Pro level in 2025, Diggs was a catalyst for the Pats defying expectations and reaching the Super Bowl. It’s why he feels confident enough to still talk about himself as leading man in Washington, despite the presence of McLaurin.
Diggs knows all about the latter, telling reporters, “I’ve seen scary Terry for a long time. Uh he’s a hell of a player, playmaker. You see him on you see him on the highlights. You see him pop up on the screen a lot on ESPN. But I admired very well, I was very inspired and I admired his game, from the intensity standpoint, and the passion that he plays with. Real similar to myself and uh we kind of talked about that a little bit when I got here, and I, you know. I’m a fan of his game.”
This is just what the Commanders should want to hear from Diggs. He’s not undercutting McLaurin by declaring himself a No. 1. Instead, this is a friendly challenge of sorts, a reminder Diggs is going to force everybody at the position to raise their games, including McLaurin.
Fortunately, No. 17 was already responding the right way by making this highlight-worthy grab during Friday’s practice.
First-year Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough doesn’t need to marginalize McLaurin because of Diggs. Nor does he need two star receivers vying to be Daniels’ go-to target.
What Blough needs more is for Diggs and McLaurin to form a dynamic duo capable of creating multiple matchup problems for defenses.
Diggs hinted this is how things will work when he told the press, “It’s going to be hard to double somebody in this offense.”
The difficulty for defenses about who to cover will be compounded by the challenges Quinn anticipates Diggs posing from a key spot.
Commanders Have Niche Role Planned for Newest WR
The Commanders know where Diggs does his best work. At least based on Quinn talking up the receiver’s “suddenness. If you’re a slot, that’s hard to guard. With him, man-to-man, you better be ready because if he does beat you or you lose leverage, it’s going to be an explosive play,” per ESPN’s John Keim.
Diggs did a ton of damage from the slot for the Patriots in 2025, taking 51.2 percent of his snaps from this niche position, according to Player Profiler. So it makes sense for the Commanders to also unleash his talents from the inside, but that doesn’t mean Quinn envisages Diggs simply being a short-range target.
The coach stressed it’s “Not to say that every throw to him is short, but you better know how you’re going to bracket him and where you’re gonna go. Those are significant game planning procedures that you go through,” per Commanders.com Senior Writer Zach Selby.
Diggs still wants No. 1 receiver work, and he may get it if he becomes the safety valve Daniels needs underneath. It’s an ideal setup for Diggs, who can benefit from the attention defenses have to give McLaurin as a genuine vertical threat outside the numbers.
The ideal scenario is for the Commanders not to have a true alpha receiver dominating the target share. Diggs is in the right scheme and playing with the right quarterback to make a more flexible group target share work, provided everyone involved responds to the increased competition the right way.
Stefon Diggs Challenges Commanders Wide Receivers With Bold Statement