It's mid-July, camps are basically knocking on the door, and one of the better receivers of the last decade is still sitting on his couch waiting for the phone to ring. Stefon Diggs put up 85 catches for 1,013 yards and 4 touchdowns last year in New England, his first 1,000-yard season since he tore his ACL, and the Patriots thanked him by releasing him in March once a $6 million guarantee kicked in. Pure business, sure. But it's left a 4-time Pro Bowler on the open market well into summer, which is a weird spot for a guy with his resume.
Diggs isn't exactly hiding from the moment either. He told Adam Schefter flat out that there's no WR2 in the league better than him right now.
Free-agent WR Stefon Diggs said there is no WR2 in the NFL that is better than him. t.co/kUFJNRy6Uc
That's a bold claim for a guy who hasn't put pen to paper anywhere, but it's also very on-brand for Diggs, who has never been shy about believing in himself even when the market is taking its sweet time to agree. The Sleeper account picked up the same quote and ran with it for the fantasy crowd, who are stuck trying to figure out where to slot a proven 1,000-yard producer with zero team attached.
Stefon Diggs said there is no WR2 in the NFL that is better than him, per @AdamSchefter
The good news for Diggs, and for anyone who drafted him in the dark on fantasy: he's not being ignored. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that at least 5 teams have been checking in on him with camps roughly 2 weeks away, a signal that the interest is real even if nobody's pulled the trigger.
At least five teams have been checking in on Stefon Diggs nearly two weeks out from camps, per @JFowlerESPN
The geography makes sense too. Diggs is a Maryland kid out of Gaithersburg who played his college ball at College Park, and both the Ravens and Commanders have popped up as suitors with hometown appeal baked in. The Chiefs have also been floated given their perpetual need for another proven target opposite their tight end-heavy attack. None of that is confirmed beyond speculation, but it tracks with why teams keep dialing.
The bigger question is why this is taking so long for a receiver who just proved he's healthy and still productive coming off the ACL tear. Whatever the holdup, the WR2 comment guarantees Diggs will have plenty to prove wherever he lands, and with camps closing in, that landing spot needs to happen soon or he risks walking into a new building with zero time to build chemistry before Week 1.