After the Seattle Seahawks swept Super Bowl LX out of the New England Patriots’ hands, Stefon Diggs was asked a curious question: Will he return next season? The wide receiver, who led the team on multiple fronts, looked the reporter straight in her eyes and confirmed that she knew her facts that he was still under contract. Well, he counted his eggs too soon.

His off-court controversies snowballed to the point that the Patriots Way was no longer a part of his identity, as sources previously told EssentiallySports, and the team cut him off. While there may have been another reason too, he can still sign with them in free agency and help quarterback Drake Maye to another Super Bowl contention. But there’s one glitch, and Diggs is not over it yet.

“I’m still mad.. I ain’t really get to do my lil 1-2,” Diggs replied to a fan comment on his recent post.

A couple of days ago, he posted a photo alongside the Patriots’ other wideout, Mack Hollins, all dressed up in their uniform and waiting for the next command. He probed his emotions, mentioning that he is not ready to talk about the Super Bowl loss and his exit from Foxborough, but he would miss his teammates there. Of course, leaving that team built on the core values of the Patriot Way is not that easy. And right then, a fan nudged him further.

The follower commented, “You can definitely get there again!!! But honestly they didn’t even give you the ball enough to show out.”

When head coach Mike Vrabel signed Diggs in March 2025, everyone thought he was making a gamble. You see, Diggs was coming off an ACL tear and was already 31 years old. But Vrabel saw the competitive hunger in him that still allowed the receiver to be on track for 100 receptions in Houston before the knee injury cut his season short. That wasn’t it.

“There’s a play style to him that I’ve always appreciated, and that we want to continue to enhance and make sure that he’s doing things to help us,” Vrabel had said last year. But with the regular season starting, Diggs didn’t get as much action as promised. Let’s look at the facts:

Of 14 targeted players last season, Maye threw the ball to Diggs 102 of 482 times. That makes up for over 21 percent of the total. He led the team with that stat and in catches (85) and yards (1,013). The team’s run game was a success primarily because of  Diggs. But for a player who once led the entire league with 166 targets and 127 receptions as a Buffalo Bill, this number is too low.

It only becomes further minuscule when we compare it to Cincinnati Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase, who led the NFL with 185 targets in 2025. In fact, Diggs was not even in the top twenty on that list. It isn’t hard to understand why he’s still mad at Maye and Vrabel.

His snap count fluctuated all season, dipping to under 50 percent in multiple games. And in the Bills game in December, he was only on the field for 26 of 52 offensive snaps. For a receiver of his caliber, that’s a hard pill to swallow. Diggs knew what he was capable of bringing, and he never felt like he got a clean shot at it. He’d hinted at it during the season, too.

“I don’t know, for real. Just trying to get used to it,” Diggs said. “I mean, kind of was the same in the beginning of the year too. So, I just try to take advantage of the opportunities I do get. And when I am out there, be a vessel, be a positive force, rather than being any other way. I’m adjusting to it. Like, I just try to do what I’m asked, and then handle it the best way I can.”

Both of his recent comments show that Diggs loved being a Patriot, believed in what that team could be, but feels like he left something on the table. But the breakup could’ve come down to the money talk.

Keeping Diggs would have cost New England $26.5 million against the cap in 2026. But his off-field distractions and cap space inflexibility pushed the team. Releasing him, however, saved $16.8 million, with $9.7 million in dead cap still hitting. The Patriots had tried to restructure his three-year, $69 million deal before the split, but Diggs didn’t bite. 

So the team moved on, signed Romeo Doubs to a four-year, $80 million deal, and started looking at the 2026 draft, with names like KC Concepcion surfacing as potential first-round targets. Meanwhile, Diggs sits in free agency, still waiting for an offer that matches what he thinks he’s worth.

He’s not wrong to be mad. A receiver who puts up 1,000 yards on 47.9 percent of his team’s offensive snaps probably had a lot more in the tank. The question now is whether any team will give him the full snap count he never quite got in New England and whether, at 32, with a clean slate, he can finally show everyone what his “lil 1-2” actually looks like.

Can the Patriots re-sign Stefon Diggs for another season in 2026?

The New England Patriots’ move to part ways with Stefon Diggs earlier this spring felt like the end of an era. But as the summer unfolds, it’s looking more like it might have just been just like a pause. The split mostly came down to money; the two sides couldn’t agree on a new contract, which led to his release. 

But Diggs is still a free agent, and the kind of deals he had expected to receive haven’t come in yet. At this point, it looks like he might have to settle for a smaller paycheck. If that’s possible, there’s a high possibility he might return to Foxborough. However, can the Patriots benefit from this move?

Bringing in Diggs and pairing him with Romeo Doubs and Drake Maye would give the QB a much better chance at succeeding. The best part? There’s no bad blood between the two. Patriots Vice President Eliot Wolf recently spoke about Diggs with a lot of respect, making it clear that the door isn’t slammed shut.

“We’re always looking for ways to improve the team, so not gonna say that anything’s final at any position on the roster,” Wolf said. “We wish Stefon the best. He was a tremendous player for us all season. I feel like wherever he goes next – if it’s elsewhere, if he comes back here – he’s gonna have a tremendous season.”

While the original split was about the salary cap, his off-court drama, and his age, a “round two” on a cheaper, team-friendly deal would be a win-win. Diggs wouldn’t have to carry the entire offense on his back anymore, and the Patriots would get a proven star back in the huddle.