The New England Patriots Have Released Stefon Diggs as They Hunt Other Receivers

After a single season that ended in a Super Bowl loss, the New England Patriots have released wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Diggs has been with a number of teams over the course of his NFL career, but is firmly in the back half of his time in the league.

Given that the team went to the Super Bowl, though, some people wondered why the Patriots would make the decision to release him. Here's what we know about why they did it.

The Patriots released Stefon Diggs after signing him to a three-year, $65 million deal last offseason. The decision to release him will come with minimal salary cap consequences for the team, though, and prevents a $6 million bonus from kicking in on March 13. Diggs's hit on the salary cap was set to go up about $16 million this season, which might be the reason the team decided to release him.

While the Patriots did not offer an explanation as to why they had released Diggs, the speculation is that the move was made in part so the team could free up cap room to target an even more explosive receiver headed into next season. Philadelphia Eagles star AJ Brown is among their potential targets, although no deals have been done yet. For now, though, it gives the team more flexibility to sign players across its roster.

Although Diggs's tenure with the team led to undeniable success on the field, it was also marred by a couple of controversies off the field. He was charged with assaulting his personal chef in December in a case that is still pending, and also went through a very public breakup with Cardi B following the team's loss in the Super Bowl. All of that off-the-field drama might have made Diggs a particularly tricky locker room presence.

For all the tumult that he faced, Diggs expressed gratitude to the Patriots for his time with the team, which helped him prove that he can still provide real value in the league.

“They was calling me washed. Said I ain’t have it no more. I just wanted to prove it myself that I am who I say I am,” he said after the Patriots won the AFC Championship game. “This team took a chance on me. I just wanted to make them proud. Just thank you. I’m thankful.”

The future for both the Patriots and Diggs remains uncertain, but the Patriots are likely hoping to build on the success of their 2025 season by adding an even more explosive receiver to work alongside Drake Maye, who almost won league MVP this year. Going to the Super Bowl in back-to-back seasons can be difficult, especially for the team that lost the game, but the Patriots are hoping that they can prove that their season was not a fluke.