The New England Patriots have high expectations for star wide receiver Stefon Diggs to perform well this season, but also for him to be available for the start of the season and, more importantly, Week 1 of the season.
Since arriving in New England, Diggs’ offseason has been unique to say the least. After dealing with the boat party incident, Diggs worked hard through his ACL recovery to prove to the Patriots that he’s able to pass a physical to earn his signing bonus, which he did.
Throughout the offseason, Diggs has been sharing workout videos to show his progress. And credit to him, he’s looked phenomenal during team drills, and it’s been assumed that he’ll be ready for the start of the season.
With the team being in Minnesota for joint practice with the Vikings, Diggs is back at a place he called home for the first five years of his career. During an interview with Dianna Russini of The Athletic for the Scoop City podcast, Diggs was being playful and coy when he was asked about his knee and if he’ll be ready for Week 1.
Stefon Diggs to Dianna Russini on his status for Week 1:
— Justin Trombino (@Trombino20) August 14, 2025
“We’ll see how it goes. I feel great. I’m pushing the needle always, I’m always odd and on doing more than less. We’ll see about Week 1. I don’t know how I feel about it. Coaches aren’t too excited, I’m not too excited,… pic.twitter.com/3gOPu8RtX5
Vrabel was eventually asked about the comments Diggs made on his status for Week 1, to which he downplayed the situation, but at the same time, he wasn’t too entertained with the way Diggs handled that interview, and it was obvious in this interaction with Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston.
"Did you really believe that, Phil? I mean, you’re a smart guy. I don’t know where you went to school, it wasn’t Ohio State, but like do you really believe that? Do you really believe that, Phil, or are you trying to bait me into something? … I don’t know the context in which he said it, but you’d have to help me. I mean, he’s been out here almost everyday. I’m excited of where he’s at and we’ll see when Week 1 comes. But he’s going to pre rice today. Hopefully he helps us in the red zone. But we can’t predict the future about Week 1."Mike Vrabel on Stefon Diggs
It’s quite obvious that Vrabel is annoyed with how Diggs handles himself off the field. Vrabel doesn’t want to be bothered by questions like this. After the boat incident, Vrabel and Diggs had a conversation about making the right decisions on and off the field, but it doesn’t seem like it’s resonating with Diggs.
Ted Johnson, a three-time Super Bowl champion with New England, is currently one of the hosts of WEEI Afternoon Drive. Johnson is starting to question if everything that comes with Diggs is worth it or not for the Patriots.
"Is Stefon Diggs worth the headache?" - @Teddyjradio pic.twitter.com/LmLgOOpRZf
— WEEI Afternoons (@WEEIAfternoons) August 15, 2025
After the boat party incident, I went on the record to say that Diggs can’t become a distraction and I feel like that’s all he’s been since. It’s only a matter of time before Vrabel runs out of patience with Diggs.
Vrabel has done a solid job of cleaning the roster of players that were drafted by Bill Belichick with the goal of reshaping the Patriots into the team that he believes can succeed. That said, Vrabel still follows some Belichickian principles, especially when it comes to the team talking to the media.
Diggs comes to New England as an 11-year NFL veteran who once ranked at the top of the league in his position for more than half of his career. Maybe you can’t always teach an old dog new tricks, but it seems like things are starting to get out of control regarding Diggs.