Stefon Diggs News: Set to be released

The Patriots informed Diggs on Wednesday that he will be released after the start of the new league year March 11, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Diggs rebounded well from an ACL tear that cut his 2024 campaign with Houston short, playing all 17 regular-season games for New England and totaling an 85-1,013-4 receiving line (102 targets) as the No. 1 receiver for Drake Maye in 2025. Per Pelissero, the transaction will allow the Patriots to avoid paying Diggs the $6 million option in his contract that would have become fully guaranteed next Friday, March 13. Now entering his age-33 season, Diggs will need to search for a new landing spot, while New England figures to prioritize searching for a new No. 1 wideout in free agency and/or April's draft. Diggs pleaded not guilty in mid-February to criminal charges stemming form an alleged dispute with his personal chef, which include include a charge of felony strangulation, and he has a pretrial hearing scheduled for April 1.