Patriots releasing Stefon Diggs after one chaotic season

Stefon Diggs will be looking for his fourth different team in as many seasons in 2026. 

The Patriots informed the veteran wide receiver that they would be releasing him at the start of the new league year next week, according to multiple reports, ending a brief and bumpy tenor for the football star. 

New England signed Diggs to a three-year, $65 million deal last offseason — but the decision to release him comes with minimal salary cap consequences and will save the team a $6 million roster bonus that kicked in on March 13.

Diggs’ salary cap charge was going to raise a significant amount this upcoming season, going from $10.5 million to $26.5 million. 

Digg thanked the organization during a post on his Instagram shortly after news of the planned release broke. 

“THANK YOU for a hell of a year. We family forever,” he write, tagging the Patriots in the post. 

“Until we meet again…,” Diggs wrote in another Instagram Story. 

Diggs led the team with 85 catches and 1,013 receiving yards, but the 32-year-old dealt with a handful of off-the-field issues.

A video of Diggs waving around a pink substance while partying on a boat went viral before the season.

He was then charged with assault for allegedly choking his personal chef in December and has gone through a very public breakup with rapper Cardi B since the Super Bowl loss to the Seahawks.

Diggs pleaded not guilty to the charges related to his chef and a pretrial hearing is scheduled to take place on April 1. 

Still, his short time in New England helped the Patriots return to the Super Bowl as Diggs became a favorite target of second-year quarterback Drake Maye. 

Diggs had 14 catches for 110 yards and a touchdown in four playoff games during the 2025 season. 

“He worked extremely hard in the time that he was rehabbing from the knee,” Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said at the NFL combine last month. “I think he was just a really good presence each and every week.”

Diggs returned from a torn ACL that ended his 2024 season and was emotional when he spoke with NFL Network after the Patriots defeated the Broncos in the AFC Championship game. 

“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. “This team took a chance on me. I just wanted to make them proud. Just thank you. I’m thankful.”