Among the various topics surrounding the Patriots this offseason has been the possibility of wide receiver Stefon Diggs returning on a new contract after the team released him ahead of free agency.
Despite putting together the best stat line by a receiver in New England since Julian Edelman in 2020, Diggs was cut due to an alleged contract disagreement, with GM Eliot Wolf proclaiming the door was still open for a potential return.
Patriots fans have held onto that hope over the past few months, and that feeling only got stronger after he was found not guilty in his court case last week.
Diggs remains unsigned after minicamp, with little news about teams being interested, and it looked like the Patriots weren't seriously considering his return either, especially after the news that Kyle Williams was switching from No. 18 to No. 8.
That was the loudest message the team had sent yet about their feelings on Diggs, but the latest update about Williams' jersey switch suggests otherwise, which is exactly what fans would love to hear right about now.
Kyle Williams' changes his mind on jersey switch, seemingly pointing to a Stefon Diggs return
Despite the announcement of a number change, Williams has reportedly changed his mind and will still don No. 18 for the 2026 season. Maybe he had a change of heart. Maybe he wanted to keep Matthew Slater's old number after receiving his blessing.
Or maybe this coincidental timing isn't so coincidental after all.
Because Diggs was found not guilty and has seemingly put his biggest troubles behind him, it would make sense that the Patriots might have an increased interest in bringing him back for the 2026 season, since he had previously been under contract anyway.
If they can get him back on a cheaper contract, since that was apparently their issue with his previous one, then Diggs' return shouldn't be ruled out.
That feels particularly true after seeing Williams change his mind about the jersey switch. It could just be a random decision to back out, or maybe he was alerted that Diggs would be returning and wanted to make sure he could wear the same number he wore in 2025.
It would make the most sense, and would be pretty cool for Williams to do. If that's not the explanation for his sudden change of heart, then it's just another false flag that Patriots fans got overly excited about.
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