Stefon Diggs is working his way back from a torn ACL he suffered midway through 2024, and there have been questions about whether the injury will impact his availability for next season. It sounds like his recovery is going as well as possible, however.
Diggs tore his ACL on Oct. 27. He has been rehabbing since, which is a significant factor in why the four-time Pro Bowl wideout remains a free agent. The New England Patriots got a first-hand look at the progress Diggs has made when he visited the team on Thursday, and apparently, they were impressed.
ESPN's Mike Reiss wrote on Sunday that NFL sources have described Diggs as being "ahead of schedule." The 31-year-old is already back to running at full speed and has been able to cut and change directions. That is all very encouraging when you consider that Diggs is just five months removed from suffering the injury.
Diggs had 47 catches for 496 yards and three touchdowns through eight games in his lone season with the Houston Texans. He was on pace for his seventh consecutive season with 1,000 or more yards.
Despite now being less than five months removed from that injury, Diggs has apparently made significant progress in his recovery. He still has over five months left to recover before the start of the 2025 NFL season as well, so Reiss’ report is a very encouraging one.
Granted, it is anyone’s guess at this point what Diggs will look like after such a major injury. But he still did look good in his limited time with the Texans last season, catching 47 passes for 496 yards and three touchdowns in his eight games before getting hurt.
Just last week, Diggs landed a visit with a high-profile team in the AFC (but ultimately failed to emerge from the meeting with a contract agreement). There are many other concerns about Diggs that don’t have anything to do with his health, mainly his diva behavior. At this point though, his physical condition is apparently becoming less of one.
It is hardly a surprise that Diggs has yet to be blown away by an offer in free agency. He is on the wrong side of 30 and recovering from a major injury, which is enough to scare a lot of teams away. There was also a lot of drama between Diggs and the Buffalo Bills before he was traded to Houston.
The Patriots are in desperate need of a true No. 1 wide receiver. It remains to be seen if Diggs can play that role at this point in his career, but he might be worth the risk. New England also has a little-known connection to Diggs, so perhaps the two sides will find common ground.
