New England Patriots
“I think he’s got to be in the running for Comeback Player of the Year,” quarterback Drake Maye said.
Although he was coming off of ACL surgery at the time, Stefon Diggs had options this offseason while navigating free-agency.
He reportedly picked the Patriots over several teams, including the Broncos.
It seemed, at first, to be an unusual pairing. The Patriots don’t usually sign big-name receivers in free-agency, and Diggs spent his most productive years with rival Buffalo.
But, the Patriots’ need for a No. 1 receiver was clear, and the team had some intriguing pieces that drew Diggs in despite back-to-back 4-13 finishes in 2023 and 2024.
“It was like a conglomerate, I guess,” Diggs said, when asked why he picked the Patriots. “Young quarterback, showed some promise, showed some skill set, can throw the ball, is mobile and young. Also, [Josh] McDaniels. He’s been around here for a long time. It’s fun playing for him. He’s called a lot of great plays here. And then, Vrabel. So, it’s like a group effort for me, personally.”
Thus began a new era for Diggs in New England, where he is authoring the comeback chapter of his NFL story arc.
He is tied for the fourth-best odds to win the NFL’s Comeback Player of the year award, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. On Wednesday, quarterback Drake Maye said Diggs deserves to win.
“I think he’s got to be proud of himself, I think that’s one of the biggest things,” Maye said. “Proud of his work, proud of how far he’s come. I told him that the other day, he hit his one-year [mark] since surgery. Proud of the way he’s handled what he’s been through.
“ACL surgery, bouncing back, making plays, being ready to go Week 1 says a lot about him as a football player, as a person, how much he’s worked. I think he’s got to be in the running for Comeback Player of the Year as much as he’s done for this football team leadership-wise and play-wise … he’s a great player and I think he deserves it.”
The durable receiver had never played in fewer than 13 games until last year, when a torn ACL chopped his season in half, breaking his streak of six consecutive 1,000 yard seasons.
With 659 yards through 11 games, he’s on track to resume the streak. And, while the four-time Pro Bowler is certainly mindful of his accolades, he has also shown an appreciation for being able to help build a winning culture with the Patriots.
“I’m extremely grateful,” Diggs said. “I can’t thank God enough for where I’m at right now, moreso where I’m at with my team. I’m around a good group of guys.
“We spend a lot of time together and I say it’s like your little mini family because you spend more time with them than you do with your own family, so I’m thankful … as far as my injury, it’s been a long time going, but more importantly, I’m still going. We’re in the thick of it.”
The Patriots, who are riding an eight-game win streak, have put themselves in position to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
They have the best record in football (9-2) and are in the mix for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Whoever gets the No. 1 seed receives a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
This young team has benefitted from an influx of veterans acquired in the offseason, including Diggs, Morgan Moses, Robert Spillane, and Milton Williams. The receiving corps in particular needed both production and leadership from an established veteran last year. Diggs has offered both so far during his time in Foxborough.
“Really enjoyed being around him every day,” coach Mike Vrabel said last month. “His energy, communication, his willingness to learn and play and figure out what it is that we need from him each and every week. There’s been an energy.
“He’s practiced when we needed him to practice, and we’re going to have to start taking care of some these veteran guys, whether that’s him or Morgan or Hunter and a lot of these other guys as we move on towards the season, but highly competitive. He’s vocal. He cares. He’s a great teammate. He’s been really good for that position and some of the younger guys’ development.”
Maye has been the driving force behind the Patriots’ success, inserting himself into the MVP conversation with his play. His arm strength was one of the qualities that the Patriots knew he had going into his rookie year, but his accuracy and touch have come along later through development.
Diggs raved about Maye’s progress, to the point where he wound up casually revealing an injury that had flown under the radar while talking about the quarterback’s ability to put touch on the football.
“I talk to him about it all the time,” Diggs said. “I had broke my finger a couple of weeks ago, so I was just telling him like ‘hey, I love the way you throw the ball, I really appreciate it just because you have that touch on the ball.
“I don’t have anything against you putting a little extra mustard on it too here and there to put it in the hole — I should have caught that one in the game. I was mad at myself for that. But, he has one of those — like a basketball player as far as when you shoot the ball and how you shoot it. He has that ability to really put that touch on the ball and make it real easy to catch.”
Diggs, realizing that he had let the injury slip, told reporters that it was “the least of his worries” when asked if he played through it.
Sometimes Diggs shows his dramatic side, Maye said when asked about the broken finger comments, joking that Diggs sometimes lays on the ground and “acts like he got hit by an 18-wheeler” when he gets hit.
Underneath it all, though, lies a foundation of hard work and determination that once catapulted a fifth-round pick into NFL stardom.
“I was never scared,” Diggs said. “I always said the worst happened already so let me just get after it as much as I can and prepare the right way.
“It’s been an ongoing process even throughout the season as far as training and getting my body where it needed to be, so I wasn’t necessarily surprised. I was prepared, I worked for it and here we are.”
Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
