Patriots Plan to Cut Stefon Diggs After One Season as Cap Hit Jump Forces Receiver Shake Up

The New England Patriots informed wide receiver Stefon Diggs that he will be released at the start of the 2026 league year, ending his stint in New England after one season.

The move is tied directly to the contract math. Diggs’ salary cap charge was scheduled to rise from $10.5 million to $26.5 million, and he was set to have an additional $6 million guaranteed if he remained on the roster by the end of next week.

Diggs acknowledged the decision on Instagram, posting: “Thank you for a hell of a year. We family forever.”

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On the field, he delivered exactly what the Patriots wanted when they brought him in last March: a high-volume, reliable target and a clear top option in the passing game. Diggs finished the regular season with 85 receptions for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns, all team highs. During New England’s postseason run to Super Bowl LX, he added 14 receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown across four playoff games.

Efficiency was also part of his profile in 2025. Diggs caught 85 of 103 targets, a 82.5% reception percentage that ranked as the second-highest among wide receivers with at least 100 targets over the past 10 seasons, according to league research notes included with the announcement coverage.

The timing and structure of the deal always made a one-year run plausible. When Diggs initially agreed to terms with New England in March 2025, the reported headline number was a three-year deal up to $69 million. As the calendar flipped, the financial reality became hard to ignore: the second-year cap number and guarantee triggers turned into a decision point before the new league year begins on March 11.

There is also an off-field layer that remains unresolved. Diggs is facing felony strangulation and other criminal charges stemming from an alleged dispute with his personal chef. He has pleaded not guilty, and he is next scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing on April 1.

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With Diggs headed out, the Patriots’ receiver room changes fast, and the timing is not ideal with a young quarterback. New England now returns veteran Mack Hollins and fourth-year receiver Kayshon Boutte as the top wideouts currently on the depth chart, with DeMario “Pop” Douglas, 2025 third-round pick Kyle Williams, and 2025 undrafted free agent Efton Chism III also in the mix. The challenge is replacing a player who was both the most productive receiver and, by multiple accounts inside the building, one of the team’s “inspirational leaders” during a Super Bowl run.

The Patriots have draft capital to work with, but the top selection is not positioned to easily solve the “replace a No. 1 receiver” problem in one move. New England holds 11 picks in this year’s draft, with its first pick at 31st overall. Head coach Mike Vrabel summed up the reality at the NFL scouting combine: “They’re not going to be there in free agency. You have to try to draft them. I think that’s where a lot of them are. You develop them,” Vrabel said.

For Diggs, the release sets up a quick pivot back into the market. He turns 32 this season and has now played for the Vikings, Bills, Texans, and Patriots, with a resume that includes multiple 1,000-yard seasons and a reputation as a volume target when healthy. The Patriots, meanwhile, get cap relief and avoid the next guarantee trigger — but also lose the exact kind of receiver that makes life easier for a quarterback trying to take the next step.

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