With rising tensions in the Middle East, Tom Brady’s flag football tournament faced an urgent relocation. But now that Los Angeles hosts it instead of Saudi Arabia, Brady’s event has made some changes, giving Stefon Diggs a new avenue into football.

Just days after the New England Patriots decided to part ways with their star wide receiver, Diggs has become one of the latest additions on the Fanatics Flag Football roster.

The Fanatics Flag Football Classic is a global event from Fanatics Studios, the joint venture between Fanatics, OBB Media, Tom Brady, and Fox Sports. Brady is notably one of the primary organizers and has shown a great deal of excitement at the opportunity to play football again.

As for Stefon Diggs, he joins a field that will include Tom Brady himself, along with Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, Saquon Barkley, Davante Adams, Ashton Jeanty, and more. Von Miller, DeAndre Hopkins, and Deebo Samuel make up the list of other free agents who will be lining up alongside Diggs. Two teams will be drafted for the tournament on March 19, with a talent pool of active players, NFL legends, and several non-football players as well. Add the third squad: the U.S. Men’s National Team, which will offer a championship ceiling to compete against.

With Fox broadcasting the event live, the tournament serves a bigger mission. Flag football debuts as an Olympic sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, and Brady has positioned the Fanatics Classic as part of Team USA’s development pathway, a platform with a reach beyond any single event.

As a freshly released free agent, the Fanatics Classic gives Stefon Diggs a high-visibility stage. What it doesn’t give him is a contract. And the downside is, if he hasn’t secured a new NFL deal by March 21, even a minor injury from flag football could complicate his market. That brings us to what the Patriots just walked away from and what’s next in store for Diggs.

Why the Patriots cut Stefon Diggs, and what’s next

Stefon Diggs’ release, finalized on Wednesday, March 4, took many by surprise. This was a player who led the Pats in receptions with 1,013 yards and hauled in four touchdowns across 85 catches. But NFL.com’s Nick Shook called it “purely financially motivated.” The cap structure, not the production, drove the decision.

Diggs’ three-year, $69 million deal with New England carried a 2026 checkpoint. His cap charge was set to jump from $10.5 million to $26.5 million, with an additional $6 million in guarantees triggered by staying on the roster mid-March. New England moved before either number was locked in and saved a $16.8 million cap in 2026 and only added $9.7 million to 2027’s dead cap.

But was moving away from Diggs truly the right move for New England? Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, for one, held up the production gap created by Diggs’ departure.

“Diggs’ numbers might not have matched the three-year, $63.5 million contract he signed last offseason,” Knox wrote on March 11. “However, he was still New England’s most reliable perimeter threat and one of the most efficient receivers in the NFL. – The 32-year-old led the NFL in ESPN Analytics’ Catch Score by a large margin–Diggs had a catch score of 97, while George Kittle and Kayshon Boutte tied with a Catch Score of 91.”

But New England pivoted towards Romeo Doubs as a replacement. The 25-year-old WR arrives from the Green Bay Packers on a four-year, $80 million deal. Across four seasons, Doubs has yet to eclipse 750 yards in a single campaign. But the Patriots now have approximately $51 million in cap space and 11 draft picks in 2026 to address the gap.

One other factor at play was Stefon Diggs’ legal trouble. The veteran receiver faces felony strangulation charges for an alleged dispute with his personal chef and has pleaded not guilty. His attorney called the allegations “unsubstantiated and motivated by a financial dispute,” per ESPN. But other teams may already be ready to make their move on Diggs, despite the legal dark cloud hanging over him.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler identified two credible fits. The first are the New York Giants, who could pair Diggs with either Jaxson Dart or a new quarterback from the 2026 draft class. The Tennessee Titans were floated as the other fit, where second-year starter Cam Ward looks to leave a better impact this season.

“At age 32, Diggs will not be a top-of-market receiving option and might need to wait for the second wave of free agency,” Fowler wrote. “But his game held up well as a 1,000-yard receiver in 2025. He has played well with young quarterbacks in back-to-back years in Houston and New England, so perhaps joining the New York Giants with Jaxson Dart or the Tennessee Titans with Cam Ward would make sense.”

Across 11 seasons, Stefon Diggs has logged seven 1000-yard seasons. Even at 32, Diggs is notably one of the more realistic high-upside additions this offseason. For now, the Fanatics Classic with Tom Brady awaits. Beyond that, Diggs’ NFL journey seems far from being over.