Stefon Diggs Leaving Patriots Feels Inevitable After Super Bowl Loss

Winning the Super Bowl is the kind of accomplishment that keeps a Hall of Fame-caliber player on a bad contract. Coming up just short of a Lombardi Trophy, as the 2025 New England Patriots did, is the kind of heartbreak that opens the door to some hard changes.

Wide receiver Stefon Diggs was never supposed to be in New England long-term.

He signed a three-year deal, yes, but the first year of that deal was more than three times less expensive than the following two. Both sides built in an out after one year, fully expecting to use it.

Diggs played this season on just a $2.9 million base salary. His overall cap hit was just $8.7 million. Next season, that number jumps to $26.5 million.

The hard part about understanding why Diggs likely can’t stay on the roster under this agreement is that the 32-year-old posted his seventh-straight 1,000-yard receiving season (excluding last season when he tore his ACL in Week 8) during his first year with the Patriots.

He led the team in receiving and emerged as an emotional leader on the squad from day one.

However, at $26.5 million, his contributions become less complimentary and more mandatory.

There is also an element of the off-field distractions that come with Diggs.

In year one of Mike Vrabel, bringing in the big veteran personality of Diggs to help jump-start a culture shift was genius. He had just the right mix of talent and star power that allowed the younger guys to grow while he dominated headlines.

Now in year two, with a Super Bowl-contending culture established, his personality has become a bullet point on the list of reasons why it makes sense to part ways; instead of the other way around.

In a stacked wide receiver free agent class, Diggs’ exit from New England as a fan favorite and emotional leader seems like the best step for the team and his personal legacy.