The New England Patriots took a big risk when they signed Stefon Diggs last offseason. Not only was he coming off a major injury at an advanced age for a wide receiver, but Diggs had a long history of tantrums and character issues, leaving time to tell if he was the right go-to option to add to quarterback Drake Maye's arsenal.
Diggs had a pretty decent regular season in Year 1 under head coach Mike Vrabel. Unfortunately, just like he did when he was with his previous teams, Diggs disappeared when it mattered the most. The veteran playmaker was largely invisible throughout the Patriots' 29-13 Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks, which might just open the door to an offseason split.
Patriots Must Consider a Stefon Diggs Split After Super Bowl Dud
Diggs finished the Super Bowl with three receptions on as many targets for 37 yards. That's not what the Patriots signed up for when they chose to roll the dice on a player with a well-documented history of power struggles.
For starters, the Super Bowl was Diggs' fifth consecutive game logging under 50 receiving yards. He also only has one touchdown during that stretch. Clearly, opposing teams focused on holding the Pats' supposed WR1 down, which is to be expected for a primary pass catcher, but they figured him out way too easily. He wasn't a factor, not even an expensive decoy. And that's only the football part of it.
Diggs has always come with way too much baggage. He's burned bridges almost everywhere he's been, and while he said all the right things and handled himself well in front of the cameras in Foxboro, that wasn't the case off the field.
The Patriots can now save $22.3 million by cutting him after June 1 or even $24 million with a trade, according to Spotrac. Cap space shouldn't be an issue for New England — OverTheCap projects them to have roughly over $42 million, the 11th-highest mark in the league, but still, it may go way beyond that.
From his infamous boat pic to all of the various off-field situations he finds himself in, Diggs is just too much of a distraction. The Patriots don't need that kind of presence around Maye if they want him to be an NFL MVP candidate, meaning it might be best to turn the page on Diggs to find a new WR1 who aligns more with what the franchise needs from a player.
At 32 years old and with everything else he brings to the table, the money from an offseason could probably be put to better use. On top of bolstering the WR room, the Patriots could even take a run at Maxx Crosby, or maybe find some much-needed help for the offensive line.
Regardless of what the Patriots do with any potential savings that a divorce might bring, it's obvious that Diggs has worn out his time in New England. It was a brief run, filled with highs and lows, but his Super Bowl disappearing act has made it abundantly clear that he isn't the right man for the Pats' WR1 needs.