Drake Maye makes feelings on Stefon Diggs clear amid uncertainty

Shortly after the New England Patriots suffered a 29-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX, veteran New England wide receiver Stefon Diggs made it known that he wants to remain with the Patriots "unless they opt out of the contract." 

While speaking with reporters on Tuesday, second-year Patriots quarterback Drake Maye referred to Diggs as "a great force" for a team that fell just short of claiming a title this winter. 

Drake Maye wants Patriots to know that Stefon Diggs has "a lot of juice left in the tank"

"I can’t say enough about what he’s done for us, what he’s done for this team and what he’s proved to himself," Maye said about Diggs, per Karen Guregian of MassLive. "I think I saw him say something about that, proving to himself the player he is and how he can still be a big-time player in this league, and he showcased that. He’s got a lot of juice left in the tank, and he told me the other day he’s got a chance to really work on his craft in the offseason."

Diggs received a three-year, $63.5M deal from the Patriots last March, and he then became Maye's favorite target as New England won 14 of 17 regular-season games. According to ESPN stats, Diggs led the Patriots for the regular season with 85 receptions and 1,013 receiving yards. Over 17 games, he recorded four touchdown catches. 

That said, Mark Daniels of MassLive previously noted that Diggs' base salary of $20.6M isn’t fully guaranteed. On Tuesday, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel reminded everybody that the business of the NFL involves teams "looking for the better, younger, cheaper player every day." 

Diggs turned 32 years old this past November.

Why Drake Maye believes Stefon Diggs can still be a top-tier playmaker

12 months ago, Diggs was recovering from a torn ACL. He'll now be able to focus on other matters during his first full offseason as a New England player. 

"He really didn’t have a chance last offseason coming from an injury, so he’s got a chance to get back and working and just trying get whatever’s left in his body," Maye added. "I know there’s some left, and I’m looking forward to getting a chance to hopefully throw him some more passes and watch [No.] 8 go." 

Logic suggests the Patriots will want to keep their young quarterback and 2025 MVP runner-up  happy. Whether or not that process will involve New England holding onto Diggs shall be seen.