Despite social media posts and rumors dreaming of a reunion, it doesn’t sound like the Patriots are planning to bring free agent wide receiver Stefon Diggs back to Foxborough.
“I think we are probably at the number that we would need right now,” head coach Mike Vrabel said Wednesday, but left the door open just a crack for the future. “I would not say anything is off the table. We would want to add anybody that could help us. I am not going to give a percentage on it, but I think we are happy with where we are at right now with the numbers and the people in the receiver room.”
The Patriots’ wide receiver room includes new additions A.J. Brown and Romeo Dobbs, and returns Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism from last year’s AFC Championship-winning roster. Undrafted free agents Jimmy Kibble, Nick Degennaro, Kyle Dixon, and Cameron Dorner are also all competing for a spot in the franchise this fall. The Patriots kept Chism, an undrafted free agent, at the end of last year’s training camp.
Diggs was a major leader on the field and in the locker room in 2025. He finished the regular season with 1,013 yards on 85 receptions. New England, however, opted to release him before the start of free agency. He had been set for a big payday in the second year of a flexible three-year deal.
The 32-year-old receiver was ensnared in an assault case stemming from an alleged incident with his private chef last winter, but a speedy trial in Massachusetts found him not guilty on all charges. The Patriots publicly backed Diggs throughout the ordeal.
“I appreciate Stefon as a person, as a player and what he did for us last year. I value that. He helped us win football games, helped us get to where we got. But right now, I don’t think that that is something that I think we are exploring. But I would never say no,” Vrabel said.
Both sides have maintained a cordial and respectful attitude towards each other, but the Patriots seem pretty content with both the veteran additions they added in the offseason and the blocking ability provided by fellow veteran Hollins. At this rate, it would be quite the surprise to see Diggs back wearing No. 8 with the Patriots.
