Patriots could ‘explore options’ to upgrade from Diggs

New England Patriots

“It’s hard for me to say who’s going to be back and who isn’t, because you have to upgrade the position instead of just changing it out for the hell of it.”

Stefon Diggs’ spot on the 2026 Patriots is far from a lock. (AP Photo/Doug Benc)

Stefon Diggs’ future with the Patriots stands as one of New England’s top offseason storylines this spring.

Diggs had a successful first season in New England, becoming the first Patriots player to record more than 1,000 receiving yards in a single season since Julian Edelman in 2019.

He also has another two years left on his current contract in New England and established himself as a leader in Mike Vrabel’s revamped locker room.

But Diggs’ contract is likely in need of a restructure, as he’s set to command a $26.5 million cap hit in 2026 — but with just $1.7 million in guaranteed salary.

An additional $6 million is guaranteed if Diggs is on the roster come March 13, so New England will need to make a decision soon if they want to keep the veteran wideout next season, especially if he’s not interested in augmenting his current contract.

Add in Diggs’ age — he turns 33 in November — and his ongoing legal issues, and it’s far from a guarantee that the wideout is back in Foxborough for the 2026 campaign.

Appearing on WEEI’s “Jones & Keefe” Tuesday, longtime Patriots reporter Tom E. Curran was asked if he believes Diggs will be on New England’s roster next season.

“I think they’re going to explore options to figure out if they can upgrade that position,” Curran said. “It’s a fairly significant number for him, both in terms of bonuses and cap hit. So I guess what I’m saying, Keefe, is I’m going to punt on whether or not I think he’s going to be back.

“I think they’ll try to improve it. If they can improve it, they’ll improve it. Better, cheaper, younger is what Vrabel stated. And I think that your X-receiver is a place that you would try to do that. Would he want to come back on a smaller number? A different kind of deal? Are they interested in having him? I mean, his leadership on-field was excellent.

“Beyond excellent, and certainly beyond expectations for everyone, myself certainly included in that. But I think that they’re going to look at that as they will everything else. It’s hard for me to say who’s going to be back and who isn’t, because you have to upgrade the position instead of just changing it out for the hell of it.”

If New England is looking to get younger at the position, they could cut Diggs and sign a free agent out on the open market like Alec Pierce and Romeo Doubs — or trade for a star talent like A.J. Brown.

But if the Patriots aren’t able to add an impact wideout this offseason, they could also just retain Diggs and ideally rework his contract to lower that cap hit.

“Upgrade it if you can. If you can’t, at least you have a guy there,” Curran said. “Now, they have to decide on who is spackle on the wall, and who is part of the wallboard. And I would probably guess that Diggs is spackle. It’s good spackle, but is it spackle long-term? You don’t want to have spackle long-term. Nobody wants that.”

Speaking after New England’s loss to Seattle in Super Bowl LX, Diggs expressed a desire to stay with the Patriots moving forward.

“[Expletive], unless they opt out of the contract,” Diggs said. “I anticipate being here. I hope so. Love my guys. Hell of a year playing with them. We built some real family-like bonds, so I hope so. I don’t control it.”

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.