Stefon Diggs reportedly trending in good direction with ACL recovery

https://www.youtube.com/live/ZqHGWY20G7k Stefon Diggs is the Patriots' new No. 1 wide receiver -- when healthy. Despite his undeniable talent, Diggs joins New England with considerable risk attached to him, primarily due to his ongoing recovery from a torn ACL suffered in October. But the latest insider reporting on Diggs' status paints a positive picture. According to Adam Schefter, who first broke the news of Diggs' three-year deal with the Patriots, later added that the 31-year-old wideout is "on track" to return in time for Week 1 of the 2025 season. Per Schefter, Diggs' health status is "another reason the Patriots felt comfortable" giving him the contract, which is for up to $69 million with $26M guaranteed. Diggs was on a 17-game pace of 100 catches, 1,054 yards, and six touchdowns for the Texans, prior to his injury. All three totals would have easily been the highest on the Patriots in 2024. So, even a diminished version of Diggs will top the depth chart in New England. Stefon Diggs The hope is that Diggs avoids the same fate as his new teammate, Kendrick Bourne, who tore his ACL around the same point of the season in 2023. Bourne missed all of 2024 training camp and started the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, sitting out the first four games of the season. He returned to practice in Week 5, nearly a year after the injury, and played that Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, but didn't get more than three targets in a game until Week 9 against Tennessee. Once Diggs is on the field and ready to play, his targets shouldn't be an issue. He's clearly the top target for quarterback Drake Maye, assuming his ability hasn't fallen off the proverbial cliff coming off an ACL tear in his age-32 season. Diggs does look to be in good shape, based on a number of Instagram stories he posted on Monday. Those are a far cry from being in NFL playing shape and ready to execute the Patriots offense under Josh McDaniels, but the rigorous workouts are a promising sign. It would be somewhat surprising if Diggs missed all of camp with the way he currently looks. The health risk is obvious with Diggs, but it's not really a financial gamble, since less than 40% of his money is guaranteed. The real inherent risk is in simply committing to Diggs as your No. 1 option in the passing game, and the time and effort that comes with that. https://omny.fm/shows/98-5-the-sports-hub-patriots-audio-1/instant-reaction-to-patriots-signing-stefon-diggs New England seems to be putting a lot of trust in Diggs not just to get up to speed quickly for 2025, but to stay healthy and hit the ground running in 2026 as well, while being Maye's go-to receiver that makes a direct difference in wins and losses. He's not a lock to stay on the field, let alone accomplish all that. But the Patriots were not in a position to play it safe at the wide receiver position. They've been desperate for talent, and Diggs has plenty of it. If and when he makes it back on the field, it will become clear why this move had to be done. Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.