Stefon Diggs is still on the open market as training camp opens. That is going to change soon.
According to multiple reports, five teams are actively circling the 32-year-old wide receiver: the Commanders, the Steelers, the Chargers, the Jets and one team the reports have not named yet. Washington is the frontrunner. Everyone else is just waiting to see what Adam Peters wants to do.
Diggs is coming off a season where he tore his ACL in Week 8 with the Texans. He is healthy now. He is not going to command the money he made in Buffalo or Houston, but he is going to get paid on a one-year prove-it deal that could turn into real dollars if he plays well.
Washington Makes the Most Sense
Jayden Daniels needs a reliable veteran alongside Terry McLaurin. Deebo Samuel is a good chess piece, but he is not a true X receiver. Diggs, even at 32 and post-ACL, is still a better route runner than 90 percent of the wideouts in the league.
The Commanders have the cap space. They have the young quarterback. They have the coaching staff that will actually use him properly.
The only question is how much Peters is willing to guarantee. Diggs reportedly wants $12 million minimum. Washington will get there.
The Steelers Angle
Pittsburgh has been the punchline of the wide receiver market for two years running. They cannot keep DK Metcalf healthy and George Pickens is now a Cowboy. Adding Diggs would give Aaron Rodgers, or whoever ends up starting, another legitimate weapon.
But the Steelers pay veterans and then cut them the next spring. Diggs knows that. He wants a two-year deal at minimum, and Pittsburgh is not going to guarantee year two.
Why This Is Taking So Long
Diggs is picky. He wants a real quarterback, a real offensive coordinator, and a real chance to win a playoff game. That eliminates half the league before negotiations even start.
He also wants to play close to a warm weather market. That helps Washington, hurts Pittsburgh and the Jets, and puts the Chargers in the mix.
The Injury Question
His ACL tear is the elephant in every room. Diggs turned 32 in November, and receivers coming off ACLs at that age do not always look the same. Amari Cooper never fully recovered his burst. Julian Edelman never played another NFL snap.
Teams are going to protect themselves with heavy incentive-based contracts. Diggs is going to have to bet on himself.
Where He Lands
Washington. That is the answer. It has been the answer for three months.
Diggs and his agent are running out the clock to squeeze one more team into the bidding, but the Commanders have the money, the quarterback and the roster fit. Expect a one-year, $10 million base with incentives that push it to $18 million if he hits statistical benchmarks.
Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel and Stefon Diggs. That is a wide receiver room that scares defensive coordinators. Add Zach Ertz and rookie tight end Tyler Warren, and Jayden Daniels suddenly has the best supporting cast of his young career.
Diggs to Washington makes too much sense to not happen. Bank on it before training camp ends.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
