The Washington Commanders have signed wide receiver Stefon Diggs, according to a person familiar with the situation. It’s a one-year contract worth up to $12 million. The former all-pro had been a free agent since March, but he’s found a home not far from where he grew up in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
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The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the situation publicly.
It’d been clear since OTAs that the Commanders needed help at outside wide receiver. While they’re confident Terry McLaurin is set to have a bounce-back year, he lacked a reliable running mate.
Through the first five practices of training camp, Treylon Burks had handled starting duties as the other outside wide receiver. Although he has some intriguing physical traits, he has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career and hasn’t proved he can be consistent.
Washington drafted wide receiver Antonio Williams in the third round in April, but he’s spent most of his time working from the slot. Recent draft picks Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane are also better off working inside.
The team has spoken highly of veteran wideouts Dyami Brown and Van Jefferson, but they hadn’t stood out much in training camp. With each practice in training camp, wide receiver looked like an area of concern.
Diggs could change that immediately. The 32-year-old isn’t in his prime anymore, but he’s still a productive player whom defenses have to account for. He started all 17 regular season games for the New England Patriots last season and finished with 85 catches for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns. He was an instrumental piece of a team that made a Super Bowl appearance.
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Diggs starred in football and track at Good Counsel High School in Montgomery County. He grew into a five-star recruit and drew offers from top programs across the country, but he decided to stay home and play at Maryland.
Diggs was a good college player but was hampered by injuries in his final two seasons and wasn’t able to put his full potential on display. That contributed to him falling to the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2015 draft.
After his trade to Buffalo in 2020, Diggs blossomed into one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. He led the league in receiving that season and was named an all-pro in two of his four seasons with the Bills.
From 2018 to 2023, Diggs recorded six straight 1,000-yard seasons.
Diggs ultimately had a falling out with the Bills and was traded to the Houston Texans in 2024. He played well there but suffered a season-ending torn ACL just eight games into the season. He was subsequently released and signed with the Patriots. Now, he’s on his fourth team in four seasons.
For Diggs, his issues have more so been his off-the-field woes. In December, he was accused of assault and battery by his former chef, Jamila Adams. While Diggs was found not guilty of all charges in May, he’s also facing lawsuits from former girlfriend Mulan Hernandez and former associate Christopher Griffith.
In signing Diggs, the Commanders appear assured those problems won’t continue. If they do, the bright side is this is a deal they can get out of easily. Their hope is it won’t come to that.
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