The Patriots are making moves like a chess grandmaster plotting checkmate. First, they bring back Mike Vrabel—a three-time Super Bowl champ with New England—as head coach. Then, they locked in the journeyman QB Joshua Dobbs to add experience in their QB room for Drake Maye. And now? They’ve added four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the mix.

As per the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Pats and Diggs agreed on a three-year, $69 million deal. See, the veteran WR is roughly five months removed from his ACL injury. That means that the Patriots played a gamble while offering a high payday to someone who’s coming from the most serious injury of his career. The kicker? Well, Vrabel and Co. aren’t too distressed about this situation. The reason?

Look, as per Jordan Schultz, Diggs’ three-year contract allows the New England team to opt out of his contract if things don’t turn out well in the 2025 season. “Stefon Diggs’ 3-year $69M contract with the Patriots allows the team to get out of his contract after the 2025 season, if things do not go well, per @jordanschultz,” the sports media personality Dov Kleiman shared on his official ‘X’ handle.

Translation? See it this way: Diggs is coming after the biggest injury in his decade-long career. Still, the Pats decided to sign him on a 3-year deal. That means if anything goes wrong with his ACL or if it affects his gameplay, then the 3-year deal is basically going to be a one-year deal. And honestly, the Pats offered an aggressive deal to Diggs.

The Texans traded for Diggs in the last season and he was supposed to be their WR1. Then came the week 8 showdown between the Texans and the Colts. The guy suffered a non-contact knee injury that had him to miss out on the remainder of the season. Fast forward to five months of his injury and let’s just say the torn ACL is probably going to give him a nightmare in the 2025 season as well.

However, if reports are to be believed, the four-time Pro-Bowler is ahead of his schedule. And considering the WR visited the Patriots and had a physical test, it’s safe to say the guy is all set to start in the next season. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be a walk in the park. Sure, the Patriots are not too distressed about his injury, but one thing’s for sure: Stefon Diggs is not going to be the same player coming off a season-ending injury.

As for his track record, the guy’s heading for his 11th season in the pros after recording 496 yards with three TDs before his injury in the last season. Now, let’s see if Diggs can fill the vacant spot of a seasoned receiver on the Pats’ roster after Julian Edelman called it a career.

Stefon Diggs can be really good for young receivers

When we talk about the best pass catchers in the Patriots’ history, no wonder Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski top everyone’s list. And why not? The guys, along with TB12, established the Patriots’ dynasty. Look, Edelman and Gronk know a thing or two about the Patriots culture. And right after their ex-team signed Diggs, the duo didn’t hold back and straight-up appreciated the decision.

“They have a lot of young football players there,” Edelman said during their Dudes on Dudes Podcast. “It’d be really good for these younger guys to be able to see how a professional works daily. How a professional prepares daily. How a professional takes care of his body…they need a little veteran leadership in that room.” Speaking of which, Polk had an underwhelming rookie season with 87 yards and 2 TDs under his name.

See, the Patriots’ O-line is heading in 2025 season with their young WR corp, including the second-year WR’s Javon Baker and Ja’Lynn Polk. And that’s where things become interesting. Because, according to Edelman, adding a seasoned WR like Diggs is going to help the younger players and they need a veteran leadership in the WR room.

On one side, Polk finished his rookie season after recording just 87 yards for 2 TDs. As for Baker…well, the guy didn’t get much opportunity, and he’d probably want to hit that reset button on his rookie season. And that’s why the Pats need a WR1—at least, that’s what Gronkowski believes.“New England needs a guy,” Gronk said.”They need wide receivers. They need a No. 1. Stefon Diggs might not be that No. 1, but he’ll at least be a solid No. 2, and I’m sure he’s got some big playmaking ability still left in the tank.” 

And why not? Diggs has been grinding in the league for a decade now. His track record? With nearly 10,500 receiving yards with 70 TDs at an average of 12.2 yards per carry, the Patriots snagged one of the best receivers on their roster. While it’s too early to say if his ACL’s going to slow him down, one thing’s for sure—the Patriots’ young WR squad is ready to get some key lessons from Stefon Diggs.