NFL analyst floats wild Stefon Diggs theory the Patriots might want to consider

There has been a lot of smoke around the Patriots trading for AJ Brown this offseason, especially after they abruptly decided to release Stefon Diggs just one year into his three-year contract. The conversation has only grown hotter as the weeks go on, but it seems beyond clear that no deal will be made official until after June 1, when the Eagles would lose dramatically less in dead cap.

That raises many questions about how the Patriots should proceed in upgrading their receiving corps for the 2026 season. Unless they know definitively that Brown will be on their roster this fall, which is nearly impossible, they need to be actively looking for more help for Drake Maye.

Some believe, like First Things First's Danny Parkins, that Diggs will inevitably be on his way back to Foxboro in no time, citing Eliot Wolf's comments about that potentially coming to fruition, and maybe it's not a bad idea.

While adding Romeo Doubs feels like a move to make up for the loss of Diggs, the veteran had an impressive 2025 season for the Patriots, and he clearly made a good impression on the organization and his teammates.

It would be wise to consider, as Parkins said, whether he's a "fallback plan" for a failed AJ Brown trade.

Stefon Diggs might be best suited to return to the Patriots for the 2026 season

It's a risky move for the Patriots to hold off on making any signings for their receiving corps until they know with certainty about Brown's future. Not to mention, it's already a bit of a risk if that deal does become reality and he isn't able to join the team until mid-summer.

But they will, of course, be banking on his veteran experience and ability to adapt, so that it won't be a problem for anyone, and that might not be a bad mindset to have.

However, there are reasons to look into bringing Diggs back, too, and based on what we've seen, or haven't seen, in free agency so far suggests maybe the Patriots are the best landing spot for him even after the productive season he just had.

There hasn't been much noise about teams inquiring about Diggs and wanting him to be on their roster, which is never a good sign for a player of his caliber, and that just keeps the door open even longer for his New England return.

Considering the connection he made with his teammates, but especially Maye, he is an easy option to bring back and elevate the offense just as he did in 2025. Maybe he's just the fallback plan if the Brown trade doesn't happen, but Vrabel and Wolf might want to consider him to be more than that.