Stefon Diggs signed with Patriots because Mike Vrabel appears to be a player’s coach
The New England Patriots were a last-place team in the AFC East in 2024, but they are determined to avoid that fate in 2025. The Patriots have been quite active in free agency, signing DT Milton Williams from the Philadelphia Eagles, WR Stefon Diggs from the Houston Texans, CB Carlton Davis from the Detroit Lions, OT Morgan Moses from the New York Jets, edge rusher Harold Landry from the Tennessee Titans and C Garrett Bradbury from the Minnesota Vikings.
The addition of Diggs could be one of the biggest moves for the Patriots since they have not had big-play receivers on their roster. The Patriots are hoping that Diggs will be in his best form while playing with second-year quarterback Drake Maye. Diggs tormented the Patriots and many AFC East opponents when he played against them with the Buffalo Bills from 2020 through 2023.
The wide receiver signed a four-year, $69 million deal with New England. He gave a pretty big hint in an Instagram post as to why he chose to sign with the Patriots, and much of that may have to do with the presence of head coach Mike Vrabel on the New England sidelines. Vrabel has a strong reputation as being a player’s coach, and that clearly appealed to Diggs.
Of course, Vrabel may be known for taking his players’ side in the large majority of cases, but he is not a coach that can be taken advantage of for very long. Vrabel, a tough linebacker during his playing career with the Patriots, has demonstrated that he has a line that players should not cross if they want to stay on his good side.
Diggs is coming off an ACL injury in 2024
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Diggs was hoping to make a big splash with the Texans a year ago, and he appeared to be on his way to doing just that at the halfway point of the season. He caught 47 passes for 496 yards and 3 touchdowns before he was lost for the season with an ACL tear.
The Patriots believe he is on track for a full return when they open the season in September. The Patriots are hoping that he will get off to a solid start and show his best form. Diggs is a four-time Pro Bowler and he has also been first-team All-Pro.
He had 4 consecutive seasons with 103 catches or more with the Bills. His best season came in 2002 when he caught 127 passes for 1,535 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Diggs is best known for being on the receiving end of the “Minneapolis Miracle” catch for the Minnesota Vikings in the 2018 playoffs against the New Orleans Saints. The receiver caught a 61-yard TD pass from Case Keenum on the final playo of the game, giving the Vikings a 29-24 triumph.
Steve Silverman has been covering the NFL for more than 35 years, and his writing has appeared in ESPN Magazine, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Pro Football Weekly, and Forbes.com. He has written 10 books, including “Who’s Better, Who’s Best in the NFL.”