The New England Patriots entered the NFL offseason looking to make several upgrades, including when it came to the wide receiver room. As impressive as quarterback Drake Maye was as a rookie, the 22-year-old signal-caller can't reach his true potential if the Patriots don't surround him with difference-making playmakers.
Although the Patriots have been linked to free-agent WRs who've already found homes, one who's still available is Stefon Diggs. The multi-time Pro Bowl playmaker has been linked to New England for weeks now and recently met with team officials, leading to Diggs and Maye following each other on Instagram when all was said and done.
Now a few days removed from the meeting, Maye has finally commented on the Patriots' interest in Diggs.
Drake Maye Comments on Patriots' Interest in Free Agent WR Stefon Diggs
On Tuesday, FanDuel TV's Kay Adams spoke with Maye about the Patriots' offseason, including his interaction with Diggs. When asked by Adams about which player followed the other on social media first, the former 2023 third-overall pick tried to play it cool while also complimenting the elite pass-catcher.
"I'm not even sure (who followed first). I think it was either way, I don't even remember," Maye admitted. "Any time you see a player like (Diggs), I'm a young player trying to pay my respects. Anybody that I used to grow up watching or playing Madden with, I try to pay to pay respect.
Drake Maye.. or Stefon Diggs?
— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) March 25, 2025
Who followed who first... ?@Patriots @UpAndAdamsShow pic.twitter.com/FsPnBthf8i
On one hand, it's encouraging to see that Maye has a good head on his shoulders. Even though he's one of the top-32 quarterbacks on the planet, he's still humble and knows that it's good practice to respect players who've been around longer than him, like Diggs.
On the other hand, it's hard to believe that Maye can't remember if he followed Diggs first or if it was the other way around. With how much praise the up-and-coming QB had for the free-agent WR, one would think that the social media interaction would be burned in his mind.
Nevertheless, it isn't hard to see why Maye would love to team up with Diggs in New England. The former 2015 fifth-round pick is a four-time Pro Bowl playmaker who's amassed 10,491 receiving yards and 70 touchdowns on 857 catches across 144 games played between the Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, and, most recently, the Houston Texans.
Whether it's New England or a different destination, Diggs will be looking to prove himself wherever he signs. The ex-Maryland receiver is coming off a 2024 performance that prematurely ended due to a torn ACL, capping him at a 47-496-3 stat line in eight appearances — on pace for a seventh consecutive 1,000-yard campaign had he stayed healthy.
The Patriots already boast solid WRs like Demario Douglas and Kendrick Bourne, however, it's clear that someone of Diggs' caliber is needed to improve the aerial attack. He's already proven that he loves playing in Foxboro, having turned 40 catches into 506 yards and seven TDs in six career trips to Gillette Stadium.
Hopefully, the Patriots don't waste any more time and sign Diggs to a contract immediately. The number of available WRs dwindles with each passing day, and the last thing the Pats need is to lose out on a top target who's clearly interested in helping take Maye's game to the next level.