Stefon Diggs catches football-related break in assault case
Any concerns of Diggs missing games in the Patriots’ playoff run are officially over.
Stefon Diggs will not be facing any imminent league discipline for his recent legal trouble.
The Patriots wide receiver has had his arraignment pushed back to Feb. 13, according to documents obtained by Travis Andersen at the Boston Globe. Since that will be five days after the Super Bowl, Diggs is guaranteed to be able to play throughout the NFL Playoffs without being subject to the commissioner's exempt list or any other discipline from the league. As far as football is concerned, this has officially become a "next season" problem.
Diggs is facing charges of felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault, stemming from an alleged incident between Diggs and his personal chef on Dec. 2. His lawyer, David Meier, argued in favor of the postponement of his arraignment because "he has only recently been engaged in this matter and ... he has a previously scheduled professional commitment."
This doesn't mean Diggs is out of trouble, beyond the obviously serious charges. After the legal process plays out, he could still be subject to discipline from the league under the personal conduct policy. But any suspension levied against Diggs, at this point, wouldn't be until the 2026 season.
Diggs is no guarantee to be in a Patriots uniform beyond this playoff run. They've already paid most of his guaranteed money, and per Spotrac, the team has an out after the 2025 season that would result in $9.7 million in dead cap charges.
The veteran receiver appears to be a full go for Sunday's AFC Wild Card matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers at Gillette Stadium. He led the Patriots with 85 catches and 1,013 receiving yards in the regular season.
