Patriots' Stefon Diggs nearly signed with a different NFL team in free agency

SAN FRANCISCO -- Stefon Diggs was one of the pivotal additions the New England Patriots made last offseason, which has since propelled them to a Super Bowl LX appearance. On the field, he became the first 1,000-yard receiver New England's had since Julian Edelman in 2019. Off the field, he's arguably the most vocal leader they have in the locker room and a linchpin to this tight-knit roster. 

But this alliance almost didn't come to pass. As Diggs explained on Wednesday, the wideout nearly inked a deal with the Denver Broncos, who his Patriots just took down in the AFC Championship to punch their ticket to the Bay Area. 

"I played against Sean Payton a lot," Diggs said when expounding on what piqued his interest in Denver. "I've seen what his offense can do. So, that was the one thing. And then a couple people on the staff that I knew. Davis Webb, I was familiar with. He helped me out a lot in Buffalo as far as learning the plays." 

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Despite that kinship with Webb, who Diggs later called a "good friend" of his, Diggs ultimately chose New England.

"When you weigh all the pros and cons, I felt the Patriots were probably going to be the best fit," he said.  

Part of New England's appeal was its young quarterback, Drake Maye. During the 2024 season, Diggs got an up-close view of his future quarterback while on the Houston Texans. They visited Foxborough in Week 6, which coincided with the first start of Maye's career. Even in those infancy stages, Diggs saw Maye's potential. 

"It was crazy," said Diggs. "He had got like a mini standing ovation when he went out. It was one of his first games going in. He showed a lot of promise. He made some throws. He was running around. I clearly remember a ball he threw Kayshon Boutte in the back corner to the right, a touchdown. I was like, 'He can spin it a little bit.''

This was the throw by Maye to Boutte that caught Diggs' attention. 

After a full regular season and three playoff games together, the admiration has only grown. 

"His maturation process is second to none," Diggs continued on Maye. "One of the best I've ever seen from a quarterback position. He's still super young, which is crazy. He's had a lot of success, but as I have grown closer to him, I'm a huge fan of him. ... He's a good teammate as well. We joke and laugh a lot in that building, in that room. The more time we spend, I see that relationship growing. He's cool with all his teammates. He's like that quarterback – I don't know how to describe it. If you play football, you'd know, but he has that quarterback mindset, that quarterback energy."

Denver certainly would've been a viable option due to his relationship with the coaching staff and strong roster. However, it's safe to say Diggs is pleased with his choice of uniting with Maye in New England, as they're now on the doorstep of playing in the Super Bowl.