Young football teams need to have veteran voices within their locker room. The New England Patriots are fortunate to have that in wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Some in the media and in the fan base are wondering what type of impact Diggs has made on his new team so far, especially since he wore out his welcome in Buffalo and an ACL tear ended his lone season in Houston.
What kind of impact would he have on second-year quarterback Drake Maye and the rest of the offense?
Through four games, the returns on Diggs have been primarily positive. He's given Maye a viable weapon down the field as he works his way back to full game shape, less than a year after his knee injury. Diggs referred to Sunday's 42-13 thrashing of the Carolina Panthers as a "turn the corner" game, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss.
Diggs was Maye's favorite target in Week 4, snatching six receptions for 101 yards, including a key fourth-down catch that led to a Patriots' touchdown. Diggs has been building a rapport with the Patriots' second-year quarterback, and their chemistry will be essential down the road.
Stefon Diggs' voice is an important one for the Patriots' locker room
The comeback is always better than the setback, and so far, Diggs is a walking example of that. While he has yet to find the end zone in his first four games as a Patriot, the 11th-year wide receiver is making impacts in other areas.
Not only is he giving his quarterback an important security blanket that didn't exist in the receiving core a year ago, Diggs is an important role model - on and off the field - for young pass-catchers like Kyle Williams and Kayshon Boutte.
Throughout his career, Diggs has been billed as a player who runs crisp routes and is never out of position. When Diggs arrived in Buffalo, Josh Allen's career took a giant leap, and some in NFL circles are optimistic he can do the same for Maye.
"My focus has always been grinding and I'm going to figure it out. I'm probably going to work a little harder now, because when things are going right, you can't relax and get complacent."
If Diggs keeps grinding and keeps leading in multitudes of fashions, the Patriots will be in good hands. Maye even called the wide receiver a great teammate, which is another positive sign.