How Patriots free agent target Stefon Diggs is reportedly recovering from ACL injury
Diggs tore his ACL in late October, missing the rest of the 2024 season before visiting the Patriots this past week.
When the Patriots hosted Stefon Diggs in Foxborough this past week, part of the star wide receiver’s trip included a medical evaluation of his knee. Roughly five months after tearing his ACL, Diggs seems to be in a good spot in his rehab process.
Diggs is “ahead of schedule” in his rehab, running at full speed while cutting and changing direction with his legs during workouts, ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote in his Sunday notes column.
The 31-year-old wide receiver has been one of the best players at his position since the turn of the decade, earning four straight Pro Bowl nods during his time with the Bills (2020-23). But after getting traded to the Texans last offseason, Diggs tore his ACL in late October, ending his 2024 campaign prematurely.
For many wide receivers, an ACL injury can keep them away from game action for nearly 12 months. That was the case with Kendrick Bourne. The veteran Patriots wide receiver tore his ACL in late October 2023 and began the 2024 season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. He eventually made his way back into the lineup in Week 5 of the 2024 season.
So, the news surrounding Diggs is certainly a positive sign. However, it should be noted that the Texans never gave a full timeline on his return to playing and there hasn’t been a report yet on when Diggs is expected to be fully ready to go.
Even if Diggs enters training camp in the final stages of his rehab, he would unquestionably be the Patriots’ most decorated wide receiver. No other player on the team has recorded 1,000 yards receiving in a season, something Diggs has done six times. Additionally, the 47 receptions, 496 receiving yards, and three touchdowns Diggs recorded last season all would’ve been in the top three for the Patriots despite playing in just eight games.
The Patriots let Diggs leave the team’s facilities following his visit on Thursday, so time will tell if he ends up in Foxborough full-time. Both parties plan to remain in contact, with Diggs’s visit being characterized as a “get to know you” while allowing the Patriots to see where the receiver was at medically, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
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