Walking into the New England Patriots this offseason meant there was a lot of work to be done for Mike Vrabel and the new coaching staff. Besides the five years of dwindling relevancy straight to the bottom of the league, the franchise appeared to be in more trouble from a roster standpoint, as the team seemed disjointed in a way that would take a while to fix.
The 2024 season was particularly bad, with rumors of a mutiny taking place behind the scenes. But that was no match for Vrabel and Co., as the team has miraculously turned things around and is now at the top of the league with a 9-2 record. A big component of that has been their leadership, from the coaching staff to the veterans in the locker room, including WR Stefon Diggs.
Despite initial concerns about his fit with the team, mainly stemming from the apparent issues he had with previous teams, Diggs has been nothing short of incredible for the Patriots' offense, on and off the field.
He has exemplified everything that Vrabel has wanted to instill within the team and the culture he wants to build. Diggs leads by example, serving as a tremendous mentor to all his teammates, and he's even giving them new mantras through his inspiring words to help motivate the team.
Stefon Diggs continues to prove he was the right gamble for the Patriots to take this season
Now that it seems certain the Patriots have gotten the best version of Diggs, maybe of his entire NFL career, it's not surprising to see that he is consistently a loud voice in the locker room to keep the team ready for what's next.
That's what he's living by, and hopes others will too, when it comes to hardships the Patriots might face this year, sharing his "F it" mentality that he has adopted this season.
“Going into a hostile environment, bringing your guys with you. Going in with a mindset of — I can’t curse but — an F it mindset. When good things happen, cool. When bad things happen, F it. Move on and band together.
On the road, it’s definitely hard. We’re going into somebody else’s stadium and nobody wants to lose (at home). I don’t care where you’re at and what time of the year, nobody wants to lose. So for us, it’s a little bit of going against the grain. Trying to go into those hostile environments and play together as a team.”
That sounds like a Mike Vrabel motto if we've ever heard one before.
It's exactly the kind of attitude the Patriots need to embrace this season, especially since outsiders continue to doubt their legitimacy and question if they are real contenders, as the postseason is right around the corner.
With so many young players on the team, and even veterans who haven't experienced much success in their careers, they must tune out the noise and focus on the task at hand: winning. And if a few bumps happen along the way, so be it. That's where the "F it" mindset from Diggs is important to remember.
Mistakes will happen, and the Patriots have shown they can still win games despite looking well on their way to recording another loss. Those are moments that cannot be dwelled upon, hence Diggs' motto, and it's great to see the team embracing that mentality with significant games left to be played.
It's just the latest reason Patriots fans should be thankful that Diggs is on this team.