Hall of Famer gives Patriots' Drake Maye advice on playing with Stefon Diggs

Stefon Diggs picked up a reputation for being a bit of a "diva" wide receiver long before he signed a three-year, $69M contract to join the New England Patriots in free agency.

During a recent chat with Karen Guregian of MassLive, Hall of Fame quarterback and current analyst Kurt Warner offered some advice for New England signal-caller Drake Maye about sharing an offense with a big personality such as Diggs.

"I think it’s always a challenge, being able to build that rapport, and to be a young guy who’s able to say: 'I’m going to throw it where the defense dictates me to throw it. I’m not just going to force it into Stefon Diggs and try to give him the ball or keep him happy,'" Warner explained. "It’s still playing the game and dealing with the personalities that come at the position."

While with the Buffalo Bills, Diggs seemed to confront quarterback Josh Allen during a playoff game held in January 2023. Questions about the relationship between the two then hovered over the organization throughout the subsequent season up until Diggs committed a costly fourth-quarter drop in what became the final contest of his Buffalo tenure. 

The Bills ultimately traded Diggs to the Houston Texans last spring, but his one season with that organization ended prematurely when he suffered a torn ACL in October. For a piece published on March 24, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated noted how multiple Texans staffers praised Diggs via text messages. 

"Loves football," one staffer said about Diggs. "Practices hard and with purpose, wants to be coached. Didn’t have any of the gameday stuff that people talked about. He’s a much warmer person than the stigma that follows him."

Depending on where he's at physically in his recovery, Diggs should become Maye's favorite target whenever the 31-year-old is cleared to face live defenses in meaningful games. Maye further establishing himself as an outspoken leader during springtime workouts could help him build chemistry with his new No. 1 receiver as Diggs continues his physical rehab. 

"As many great receivers as I’ve been around that wanted the ball on every snap, it was much easier to manage those things because they were seeing others having success," Warner added. "If you’re Drake, you’ve got to have success. The more success you have, the easier it is for the Diggs’ ego-type stars to say it’s all about the team." 

Head coach Mike Vrabel clearly believes Maye will find success working with Diggs, new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and others. Only time will tell if Diggs will prove to be a positive or a negative regarding Maye's ongoing development.