Overview
- Team officials informed Diggs he will be released when the new league year opens on March 11, and he posted a goodbye message on Instagram.
- The move clears about $16.8 million in 2026 cap space and circumvents an additional $6 million guarantee that was set to vest on March 13.
- Diggs’ three-year contract signed last March was structured to allow an exit after one season, with a projected 2026 cap hit of roughly $26.5 million and about $9.7 million in dead money if cut.
- The 32-year-old led New England in 2025 with 85 receptions for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns, playing all 17 games and helping the Patriots reach the Super Bowl after returning from an ACL tear.
- His criminal case remains unresolved with felony strangulation and misdemeanor charges pending and a pretrial hearing on April 1, and New England now enters free agency seeking a new top receiver for Drake Maye.