The Washington Commanders added a veteran wide receiver in Stefon Diggs who can add "explosive plays" to the 2026 offense
The long awaited addition to potentially finalize the 2026 roster for the Washington Commanders was made official on Friday morning after veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs was officially announced by the organization, two days after news of the local product signing broke and one day after he was spotted inside the team's facility.
Diggs joined the team for Friday's training camp practice for the first time, sporting a temporary jersey number 18 in his first practice with Washington. It marked a notable day for the Commanders given the noise that the wide receiver position has drawn all offseason, adding a second proven weapon alongside veteran Terry McLaurin.
The signing did also come with a familiar face reconnecting with head coach Dan Quinn after hearing from cornerback Trevon Diggs, who played under Quinn during his time as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator.
"I got a cool text from little brother last night about the impact he's had and the amazing leader that his older brother has been," Quinn added.
Though the emphasis all offseason was about adding youth to one of the NFL's oldest rosters last season, the arrival of Diggs in Washington alleviates the strain on McLaurin while adding proven production at a position of need. Between the two veterans, Washington now has a pair of receivers who have each eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in four of their last five seasons, along with 12 combined NFL seasons breaking the mark.
Yet after expressing content with the current room, head coach Dan Quinn reiterated that he's "pleased" with the competitive makeup of the current room that Diggs now adds to.
"To add another competitor into that spot, this is a really skilled receiver," Quinn said of Diggs. "He's got great route running ability. So when you practice against that, like you can't help but improve your own game."
Quinn admitted that ironing out snaps counts and targets remain questions that the Commanders will work through ahead of the regular season, one season after the veteran played in 55% of New England's offensive snaps in 2025 -- an impressive feat given he still managed to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards.
One question that the Commanders will have to answer is how Diggs will fit alongside rookie Antonio Williams given the duo both project as slot receivers, though Quinn added that he won't exclusively play . Yet Diggs also adds firepower to the position after Quinn pointed to the suddenness and route running precision as traits that stick out about the newest weapon, alleviating arguably the biggest question mark ahead of 2026.
"When you have quickness and you can beat somebody when you're playing man to man, there's explosive plays after that," Quinn said. "Oftentimes in zone, person can catch it, but you're going to see it. It might be a first down. With him, man to man, you better be ready because if he does beat you across your face or you lose leverage, like this is going to be an explosive play. Not to say that every throw to him [is] short, but you better know how you're going to bracket him, where you're going to go. So those are significant game planning procedures that you go through."
As Diggs now looks to live up to the billing as an impact addition, his arrival only adds to the competition in a room featuring several pieces looking to create separation along the roster.
"That's why it is nice to have him here today and begin that process together," Quinn said of Diggs' arrival in an unproven room. "But it's also kind of like ramping up our competition in a group that I like, who they stand for. I like what that feels like, to see where it plays out, so to speak. So as the competitor, coach in me, like it's good, and so those are good things that you want to figure out."
While Quinn pointed to Diggs being in "fantastic shape," Washington will look to ramp up the integration of the newest wide receiver in the offense with preseason set to begin next week. Whether Diggs plays in preseason is a question that Quinn and the coaches have to sort out, but the value added to the skill players is clear.
