One of the biggest weaknesses of the 2024 New England Patriots’ 30th-ranked scoring attack was the lack of a playmaking pass-catcher capable of making an impact on the winning column.
Does that change with the signing of Stefon Diggs? The 31-year-old four-time Pro Bowler had recorded six consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns prior to last year’s ACL tear that ended his season after eight games.
Plus, the Patriots are certainly paying him like a difference-maker, with a three-year, $69 million contract. However, Diggs is coming off ACL surgery, so now fans want to know how quickly Drake Maye will have his new No. 1 receiver on the field.
Christopher Price of the Boston Globe recently addressed the topic in a Patriots mailbag.
"Diggs tore the ACL in his right knee in October, five months ago," Price wrote. "Using the traditional rehab timeline (nine months), a reasonable expectation would have him on the field between July and October. If you’re an optimist, he’d be ready to go for camp. If you’re a pessimist, there could be a stint on the PUP list looming before he’s fully cleared. Multiple reports indicated Tuesday that he was ahead of schedule in his return, but I still wouldn’t be surprised to see him continue to ramp things up slowly over the spring. The Patriots have to weigh the pros of getting him acclimated to the offense and working with Maye against the cons of having him return too quickly from injury."
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The Patriots’ leading receiver from last season was tight end Hunter Henry, who recorded 674 yards. Depending on how much time he’s forced to miss, Diggs should have no trouble clearing that bar. After all, Diggs has played 10 seasons since becoming a fifth-round pick, and he’s had fewer than 700 yards just once, when he tore his ACL last year. If healthy, Diggs has a high floor and an even higher ceiling compared to his new peers.
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