Jan 11, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs (8) reacts after defeating the Los Angeles Chargers in an AFC Wild Card Round game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Patriots' Stefon Diggs Was Worth Every Penny

Originally posted on New England Patriots on SI
By Jordon Lawrenz | Last updated Jan 19, 2026 11:00 AM ET

After a quiet AFC Wild Card game, New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs returned to form in the AFC Divisional round.

Diggs caught four of his six targets for 40 yards and has one of quarterback Drake Maye's four touchdown receptions in the postseason.

Maye, who many consider the MVP frontrunner or runner-up, was able to rely on the 32-year-old in more ways than one this season. Diggs, a former fifth round pick, entered this season on his third team in the last three seasons.

Having bounced around from Buffalo to Houston to New England, Diggs has found his new permanent home. Fans were skeptical on his three-year, $69 million deal, but he's turned out to be worth every penny.

March 25, 2025, Changed Everything

Sources: The #Patriots are signing #Texans FA WR Stefon Diggs, one of the top free agents available. He gets a 3-year, up to $69M deal.

After a successful visit to NE, including a physical thanks to an ACL tear that ended his 2024, he lands to be a key target for Drake Maye. pic.twitter.com/3kX9QyQt1h
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 25, 2025

The day Diggs signed with the Patriots is a day fans won't be forgetting anytime soon. It seemed like an odd move at the movement as he was coming off a serious ACL injury that cut his 10th NFL season short.

Looking at his age and production in eight games with the Texans, bringing him in for nearly $70M seemed like a complete waste. Sure, Maye needed someone to throw the ball to, but many feared Diggs was far from the guy.

Ultimately, he proved everyone wrong. Diggs' performance in the divisional round was another cherry on top of his stellar debut season with New England. He may not be the team's leading receiver in the playoffs, far from it, but just his presence on the field makes the opposing defenses rethink everything.

Diggs Changed This Offense

stefon diggs is crazy. still one of the best in the game. pic.twitter.com/HlhxTpBCAp https://t.co/7MnpnHQORW
— Kyron Samuels (@kyronsamuels) January 18, 2026

While there was nothing necessarily wrong with Maye's year one performance, his jump from year one to year two is staggering. Not many, if any NFL QBs are ever in MVP consideration so early into their career, but Maye can thank Diggs for bringing out the best in him.

Diggs was the team's lone 1,000 yard receiver en route to Maye throwing for 4,394 on the year. Only four of his 31 touchdowns went to Diggs, but no one can take away the fact that Diggs was by far this team's most productive receiver.

Coming off his rookie year, it was clear Maye needed a new WR1. Diggs ended up being targeted 102 times this year and hauled in 85 receptions, both of which were by far the most on the team. Even though he's been a bit quiet in the playoffs thus far, he can pop off at any given moment and it seems like the best is yet to come.

This article first appeared on New England Patriots on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: