The New England Patriots have used free agency as an outlet to bring in some new additions to the team. Romeo Doubs, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Dre'Mont Jones, and Kevin Byard III headline those new faces to call Foxborough their NFL home moving forward.
While those newcomers continue to make headlines, several former Patriots have walked out the door but haven't been able to land on their feet just yet. The biggest name on that list is receiver Stefon Diggs. The negotiating period opened up on March 9, but one week later, Diggs is still unsigned.
Former Patriots WR Stefon Diggs Remains a Free Agent After Release
The Patriots released Diggs and, in the process, saved $16.8 million. Just last spring, he and the Patriots agreed on a three-year, $69 million deal, but the Patriots decided to reverse course. In his lone season in New England, Diggs was the first Patriots receiver to go over 1,000 receiving yards since 2019, when Julian Edelman did it.
Diggs had 85 catches (102 targets) for 1,013 receiving yards and four touchdowns. But if he were to stay on the 2026 roster, he would have accounted for $26.8 million on the cap. That was too big a price, and the Patriots decided to use that money on Doubs instead (four years, $68 million).
Despite showing that he can still be productive at this level, Diggs hasn't been able to find another landing spot. During the playoffs, Diggs finished with just 14 catches for 110 yards, with all four games seeing the veteran wideout held under 40 receiving yards.
He didn't stand out when the games mattered the most, and he will turn 33 years old next November. His best days are behind him, and it appears that teams aren't interested in bringing him in at the price point that he's asking for.
Spotrac projects Diggs to get a two-year, $27.6 million deal in free agency, which averages out to $13.8 million annually. That places him fourth among free agent WRs behind Jauan Jennings, Deebo Samuel, and Tyreek Hill on Spotrac.
Nonetheless, Diggs may be waiting for a perfect opportunity to pop up, but after a week of being a free agent, he's still available. Teams could be taking a cautious approach with him. It's hard for receivers to maintain that consistency in their mid-30s, especially given that Diggs tore his ACL in 2024.
The Maryland product bounced back quickly, but that may not be the case in 2026. It doesn't help Diggs' case that the NFL draft is in a month. The WR position is loaded nowadays, and teams could easily find a contributor on the first two days of the draft. Considering they would be cost-effective for four seasons, teams may be holding out for that option.
The longer that he sits on the market, the more his price decreases. New England decided to close the door on Diggs' tenure in New England, and it seems like no one was lining up to sign him.