Nobody thought Stefon Diggs would be this good coming off of an ACL tear last season. In his first year as a Patriot, he bounced back in dramatic fashion.
When the announcement was made that Stefon Diggs would be signing with the New England Patriots this past offseason, the skeptics came out of the woodwork.
Diggs was coming off an ACL tear in 2024 after his brief stint with the Houston Texans. The Patriots would sign him as a free agent on a three-year, $69 million deal. Not only was he coming off a major injury as an aging wide receiver, but his exit from the Buffalo Bills was also still fresh in people's minds.
Many were concerned about how he would even thrive in Mike Vrabel's system with a young quarterback like Drake Maye, who had yet to prove himself.
However, on Sunday evening, Diggs would cap off an impressive bounce back to doubters of his on-field abilities. The veteran wideout would cross 1,000 yards in a season. He's the first Patriots wide receiver to do it since Julian Edelman in 2019.
That comparison alone proves just how much of a journey this Patriots rebuild has been over the last decade.
With Maye still a developing young QB, it was important that someone step into a leadership role, especially on offense. Diggs became that guy, delivering pre-game motivational pep talks to his teammates.
Almost as a reward, Maye would find the veteran numerous times throughout the game. Today, the two connected on a 34-yard catch that got Diggs the yardage and a special $500,000 bonus added onto his initial contract.
A bonus is that he also achieved it last week when he caught his 80th pass of the season against the New York Jets in the dominant 42-10 win in the Meadowlands.
Diggs was asked on Friday about the possibility of achieving the goal in Sunday evening's game against the Miami Dolphins.
“It’s a prayer and a hope,” Diggs said. “If it does happen, I’m always happy. I’m thankful because it’s not just my success. There are a lot of guys out there. A lot of guys blocking, the guy throwing the ball, Rhamondre (Stevenson), TreVeyon (Henderson) protecting him. So fingers crossed it happens. If it doesn’t, I won’t cry in the corner. But if it does, I might shed a tear of joy.”
The play to get Diggs 1,000 yards in a single season was just one of the many memorable moments in their 38-10 win over the Miami Dolphins. A game they needed to win to hold onto the number two seed in the AFC playoff picture.