Maybe the biggest story in the NFL in recent days has been when New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs was filmed holding an unidentified pink substance on a boat while surrounded by women.
The blowback from the video has seemingly seeped into his professional and romantic life. For one, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has already fielded questions regarding the video. Plus, Diggs’ rumored significant other, rapper Cardi B, is supposedly “frustrated” with him and doesn’t want the 31-year-old “flirting with any ladies.”
Now, one NFL insider thinks Diggs could face some more tangible consequences for the video. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated thinks “all things” are in play in light of the viral video, including the possibility that Diggs gets cut from the Patriots entirely.
Earlier in this offseason, the Patriots signed Diggs to a three-year deal, and he has yet to even play a game with New England.
“I sort of think all things are on the table and I think really, to me at least, it’s going to boil down to what Stef told Vrabel, and how believable it was,” Breer said.
“Cause I think it’s going to be hard for anybody, the league is going to look into this, and they’re going to hit a dead end cause they’re not going to be able to prove what was in the bag. There’s no way for them to prove what was in the bag. So then, it’s up to the team to make a decision. And if the team wants to recoup any of the guaranteed money, they have to cut him right away. Because you can’t hold him on the roster for two weeks and then decide, OK, we’re done with you then, so my guess would be, the reason he wasn’t at practice — this is purely a guess — but my guess would be the reason he wasn’t at practice the other day might be because Mike told him to stay away and maybe they’re sorting through everything now.”
Diggs has been one of the more productive wide receivers in the entire NFL in recent years, as he totaled 1,000-plus receiving yards in every season from the 2018 campaign through the 2023 season.
He was on the right path toward hitting that benchmark once again with the Houston Texans in the 2024 season before he went down with a season-ending injury. Diggs was limited to just eight games last season due to a torn ACL he suffered against the Indianapolis Colts.
Diggs averaged 62.0 receiving yards per game last season, putting him on pace for 1,054 receiving yards over a 17-game slate.
It’s understandable if the Patriots are weighing all of their options with Diggs, but maybe the right decision would be to keep him in the fold considering New England’s lack of talent at his position last season. DeMario Douglas totaled the most receiving yards of any registered receiver (not including tight ends) for the Patriots in the 2024 campaign with 621.
Patriots fans have little to do at this juncture but wait and see what comes of the situation with Diggs.
