REPORT: Stefon Diggs Will Play Week 1 For New England Patriots

The New England Patriots had one goal in the offseason, and that was to surround Quarterback Drake Maye with more weapons heading into his sophomore season. They accomplished it by signing star Wide Receiver Stefon Diggs to a three-year, $69 million contract, including $26 million guaranteed. Diggs’ availability was up in the air earlier in the offseason, due to a torn ACL he suffered with the Texans last year. Patriots Head Coach Mike Vrabel confirmed today that Diggs will suit up and play Week 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Diggs Is Good To Go

Vrabel went on the Greg Hill Show this morning and confirmed that the star wideout will indeed be out there. “As of today, he’ll be out there.” Diggs, 32, appeared in 8 games last season for the Texans, recording over 400 yards and 3 touchdowns. He tore his ACL in Week 8 last year against the Indianapolis Colts and has made a quick recovery.

 It has been about 10 months since his injury, and he looks just like his old self. He reminded everyone how good he really is when the Patriots had a joint practice with the Minnesota Vikings. He picked up right where he left off, giving the Vikings defense problems throughout practice. His presence on the field is huge for the Patriots, as he’s one of the very few players on offense to have played in big moments and been to the playoffs.

Great News For Drake Maye

The Patriots’ WR core was one of, if not the worst, in the NFL last season. The addition of Diggs will do wonders for Maye, as he looks to take a big step in his second season. Their connection has been growing more and more throughout training camp, and Maye has spoken nothing but highly of Diggs.

“When I was in high school, he was a youngin’ in the league and I had him on my fantasy team… played with him on Madden. So, it’s pretty cool to know this season be throwing to him,” May said on throwing to Diggs.

 The other great news for Maye is that the Patriots didn’t just add to the WR core, but the RB room and offensive line as well. They took LT Will Campbell out of LSU with the 3rd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and drafted Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson in the 2nd round. Both Henderson and Campbell will make an immediate impact and be every-down players.

 What Are Realistic Expectations?

The Patriots are still the ninth-youngest team in the NFL, despite signing multiple veteran free agents during free agency. With that, I’d say 7 to 8 wins is a realistic goal for this team. They added a ton of new talent on defense under Vrabel, and will allow Maye to take the next step with new additions on offense. New England is also projected to have the second-easiest schedule in the league behind the San Francisco 49ers.

 All eyes will once again be on Maye. Last year, all of the talk was about his lack of weapons, poor offensive line, and a run game that was basically non-existent. This year, the narrative has completely flipped. Now, Maye has every tool necessary to reach his potential, and it falls on him to perform and lead this team.

 The addition of  Vrabel will also have a significant impact on the team. While Jerod Mayo had potential, it was a high probability that he would be one-and-done as a head coach, especially given the situation he was in. Vrabel comes in having had coaching experience with top-tier AFC teams before, during his time with the Titans.