Just weeks ago, Stefon Diggs was the Patriots‘ shiny new hope—rehabbing that ACL, cracking jokes about Mike Vrabel being “young and handsome,” and stepping into Foxborough like the seasoned vet ready to lead a young receiver room starving for guidance. He was supposed to be the guy to elevate Drake Maye and torch the AFC East, especially now that the head coach was rebuilding the roster.
Cut to the reality, and then came the yacht video. Diggs was seen handing out a bag of pink crystals to a group of women. Cardi B was reportedly on the boat too, though not in the clip. That sounds like a scene straight out of a rap video. But instead of generating millions of views and getting nominated for the Grammys, Stefon Diggs found himself under the radar, with folks out there calling out the Patriots for whether it was the right decision to sign him.
So, can the Patriots actually do something about it? Can they fine him, suspend him, make him run laps until the bag vanishes? Not really. And here’s why.
First off, the head coach, Mike Vrabel, shed light on the controversial situation of their veteran wideout, stating that the team is “aware” of the video. The catch? Well, the HC wasn’t exactly ready to go Defcon 1. “Obviously, we want to make great decisions on and off the field,” he told reporters. “Any conversations that I’ve had with Stefon will remain between him, I and the club.” Now, let’s face it—that doesn’t sound like a coach gearing up for disciplinary action. In fact, it sounds like a guy trying to move on and handle it quietly.
The big picture, contract-wise? Well, that’s the interesting part. NFL teams can’t just slap their players with a sweet fine just because something looks bad. In the case of Stefon, holding a plastic bag. As per Diggs’ contract clause, or to be more specific, according to the standard player contract, players can’t engage in behavior that’s “illegal, unlawful, or immoral.”
But here’s the thing: the clip didn’t show any activity that’s illegal for Diggs. He was just holding a plastic bag. There’s no law against it. And Albert Breer from Sports Illustrated broke it down perfectly on 98.5 The Sports Hub. “It’s going to be hard for anybody—the league’s going to look into this, and they’re going to hit a dead end because they’re not going to be able to prove what’s in the bag,” Breer said. “So then it’s up to the team to make a decision.” Long story short: it totally boils down to what Diggs told Vrabel and Co. and how well the explanation was. Fiction or not? We’ve no clue.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to one thing: the Patriots can’t fine Diggs just because the optics are messy. Article 42 of the CBA allows fines for “conduct detrimental,” but that only sticks if there’s actual evidence. A vibe doesn’t count, and neither does a viral video. Unless someone shows up with a lab report, we might have a different picture ahead of Diggs’ 2025 season with his new team.
But amidst all this feud, Diggs’ absence at the Patriots’ OTAs has grabbed the spotlight, along with his $200K bonus with the team.
Stefon Diggs chose to ditch the OTAs and the $200K bonus
On Wednesday, the NFL reporter Dov Kleiman shared a video of Stefon Diggs on his ‘X’ handle, where the 31-year-old wideout can be seen at the Patriots’ practice facility. Yeah, after his controversial video went viral, the guy returned to the practice. Too late? Well, you can say that. The Patriots kicked off their Organized Team Activities (OTAs) at the earliest on Monday, May 19.
However, the folks out there and the media were hoping for Diggs to show up at the OTAs. But did he show up? Barely. And that’s where it gets pretty interesting. See, as per his contract terms (three-year $63.5 million) with New England, Diggs also has a $200K workout bonus with his new team for participating in 27 out of the 32 OTAs.
Now, most of the players would like to participate in the team’s OTAs and grab that easy bonus to make a strong impression on the head coach. But Diggs? Unfortunately, the 31-year-old wideout isn’t one of ’em. He was in and out of Foxborough throughout the OTAs as the Patriots’ WR, Kayshon Boutte, stated that “he (Diggs) hasn’t been here much.”
In fact, the guy decided to ditch the OTAs and spent time on a yacht, which grabbed attention, no doubt, but not for good reasons. Long story short: Stefon Diggs was supposed to be a savior of the Patriots’ receiving corps, which he will still be, given that the NFL can’t impose a fine on him. But let’s face it—the wideout will be under the radar ahead of the 2025 season.
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