The Patriots' 2026 offseason didn't start the way they hoped, with a Super Bowl win, but there is plenty to look forward to. The next stop is free agency, where many decisions will be made about the future of the roster.
Mike Vrabel has already hinted at tough moves to be made, and one of those could be the future of wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Although he was the first receiver in New England to reach 1,000+ receiving yards since Julian Edelman in 2019, there is considerable discussion about his fit for 2026 and beyond, particularly given his ongoing court case and his salary.
Whatever happens to his tenure in Foxborough could depend on the outcome of his legal problems, but if not, NBC Sports Boston's Phil Perry believes there's plenty to suggest his salary isn't ideal for what the Patriots want to accomplish.
The Patriots now have a date in mind in deciding the future of Stefon Diggs
On the latest episode of the Next Pats Podcast, Perry discussed how he would approach the 2026 offseason if he were the team, and his first rule of business centers on Diggs' future with the team, particularly given his salary and the money they would save by moving on.
He points out a date the Patriots will have to keep in mind because Diggs is guaranteed a hefty sum as free agency begins in March.
"He has $1.7 million guaranteed on his deal for 2026. It's not a huge number, but if you get to the regular season, that $20.6 million base salary becomes guaranteed, and actually $6 million of that will be guaranteed on March 13th.
That's the key date. If he gets $6 million on March 13th, he's going to be with this team. If he doesn't, you're going to be looking for wide receivers, whether it's in free agency or in the draft, to help fill the gap.
"Now, you could save almost $17 million on the cap. ... You would have $9.7 million in dead money if you end up parting with Stefon Diggs."
March 13 will be a big day for Vrabel and Co., and based on the kind of performance he put up during the regular season and the leadership role he exhibited the moment he joined the team, there's plenty of reason to believe they will keep Diggs for, at the very least, the 2026 season.
Much of that will also be dictated by his court case, which should be resolved before any decision is required.
Within it all is the money aspect, and while the amount they'd save by moving on from Diggs would be substantial, about half of it would go to dead money, which almost negates the positives of cutting or trading him.
Because they'll want to upgrade the offensive roster for Drake Maye while also maintaining some consistency from this year, there's enough evidence that Diggs should be kept around, and they can just add more receiving talent.
But if they don't think he's a real fit, which would seem to go against them giving him a three-year contract last offseason, then they might have some trade partners that could make it a bit more worthwhile. He proved he can still be a legitimate threat on the field, while also having no issues in the locker room, so it's hard to imagine receiver-needy teams wouldn't be calling.
Vrabel and Eliot Wolf will need to be sure that he's not what the offense needs if they ultimately decide to move on because it's not a decision they can take back. That will be tough to measure over the next few weeks, but hopefully, they make the right choice.