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So, Stefon Diggs is a Patriot now. Inking a 3-year, $69M contract—that has more holes than a Swiss cheese. But Diggs ain’t focusing on the numbers right now. Something else has apparently occupied his mind. You know one of the first things players think about after signing with a new team. Yep, that jersey number. Right now, the 4-time Pro Bowler is mulling over what digits he will be rocking in New England. And judging by his online discussion on this matter, it seems like Diggs may have narrowed down his options.

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On Saturday, Diggs shared a post that had a custom Patriots jersey, as his story read, “What number we wearing?” Translation: Diggs is asking for his fans’ opinion to help him decide on a number. So, there was this anonymous fan who suggested No.88 to Diggs. Seeing the No.88 being proposed to Diggs. The new Patriots wide-out may like the idea of sporting the Hall of Fame number. Just take a look at his answer: “No lie, ion even think I feel right in the 80’s.” Umm, is Diggs not liking the idea of draping himself in No.88?

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If it does happen, it will surely be a huge step. Why? No.88 holds a special significance in the NFL, especially for the receivers. Hall of Fame receivers like Michael Irvin, Marvin Harrison, and Drew Pearson used to sport this number. And outside of receivers, Kansas City Chiefs’ legendary TE Tony Gonzalez also used to wreak havoc on opposition defenses wearing No.88.

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So, Diggs choosing No.88 in New England would definitely put a lot of pressure on him to perform like the number demands. But what about No.14? I mean, Diggs used to frustrate opposing defenses wearing No.14 in his Viking and Bills era. Maybe he doesn’t wanna go back to that number after giving it up once he signed with the Texans. In Houston, Diggs bought the No.1 jersey from Texans’ safety Jimmie Ward for $100,000.

This move came 3 years later after the NFL changed its rule that WRs aren’t allowed to wear single-digit numbers. As for Diggs, that No.1 jersey also had a special connection to him. It made him remember his college roots at the University of Maryland, where he used to wear No.1. Yet again—why not No.1? Well, it’s already occupied by someone whom Diggs doesn’t wanna disrespect.

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Stefon Diggs special message to Ja’Lynn Polk

Before No.88 was suggested to Diggs—which he clearly didn’t feel was right. Someone on his Instagram also floated the idea of keeping his No.1 as in Houston. However, he was quick to squash any chance of him continuing as No.1. Why? Because of last year’s rookie receiver, Ja’Lynn Polk. Diggs wrote on his story, “Nah we ont do that & young boy boutta have a good year… believe in em.” Those words of support to Polk surely meant a lot to him. Coming off a horrible first year in the league, Polk was one of the worst receivers in the league.

I mean, after what the Pats did to get him, it was even more embarrassing. New England moved down three spots from No.34 to No.37 just to get Polk. As for the Chargers, who got that No.34 pick, they used it to draft Ladd McConkey. He went on to have an explosive rookie year, putting up 1,149 yards and 7 TDs. Meanwhile, Polk played 14 games but only caught 12 catches for just 87 yards and two TDs. This includes catching only 2 passes in his final 8 games and getting benched against the Bills for the season finale.

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So, the hope in Foxboro will be that Polk can turn the tide in his sophomore season. With Stefon Diggs as his mentor, Polk can surely turn his NFL career around, which is still in its early stages.

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Subhomoy Sen

1,234 Articles

Subhomoy Sen is a Senior NFL writer who plays a key role in our coverage of ES NFL Sundays. He is a ‘stat’ specialist and is often among the earliest to write about game-changing moments (statistics-led) during intense Sunday games. He received accolades for his statistical coverage of the Eagles-Cowboys fixtures late in 2024 where he wrote on how the theory of hidden yardage ‘Hurt’ the Cowboys. Subhomoy is excited at the sight of Rodgers versus Green Bay this season. We can’t wait too.

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Garima Yadav

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