Stefon Diggs Avoids NFL Punishment After Investigation Closes. His Free Agency Just Got Real
Stefon Diggs is officially in the clear. The NFL announced Friday that it has closed its personal conduct policy investigation into the four-time Pro Bowler with no discipline. The league cited “insufficient evidence” that Diggs violated the policy.
This was the expected outcome after a Massachusetts jury already found him not guilty last month on charges of strangulation and assault and battery. The case stemmed from a December incident at his Dedham home involving his former live-in chef, who testified Diggs slapped and choked her during an argument. The jury didn’t buy it. Now the NFL has lined up with that verdict.
What does that mean for Diggs? It means his phone is about to ring.
The Patriots Already Cut Him. Now He’s Free to Cash In
New England released Diggs in March, which felt like a quiet acknowledgment that they didn’t want the headache while the investigation was still open. That’s no longer the situation. Diggs is 32, but he’s coming off a productive bounceback year and his hands haven’t gone anywhere.
You can already see the suitors lining up. The Steelers need a real WR1. The Bills have flirted with the idea of bringing him home before. The Chargers, Bengals, and even the Eagles have all dealt with receiver depth questions that a healthy Diggs could solve immediately. Whichever team gets him at this discount is going to look very smart by Week 8.
The NFL Did the Right Thing Here
Pretend for a second that the league had hit Diggs with a six-game suspension after a not-guilty verdict in court. That would have set off the union, the legal experts, and every player rep in the building. Roger Goodell has handed out plenty of questionable suspensions over the years. This wasn’t going to be another one.
The personal conduct policy lets the league discipline players even when the courts don’t convict. That’s still a tool the NFL is going to use when the evidence warrants it. This case wasn’t that. The accuser’s testimony fell apart in front of a jury. There was no path to a defensible suspension.
Where Does Diggs Sign?
The smart money is on a team that wants a one-year proving ground deal. Diggs took less money before, and he can do it again to chase a ring. The Steelers stand out as the best fit. Aaron Rodgers and Mike Tomlin want offensive weapons, and Pittsburgh’s current outside options aren’t moving the needle.
Don’t sleep on the Patriots taking him back, either. They cut him to clear up legal optics. Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye still need help at receiver beyond AJ Brown, and Diggs already knows the building. A reduced deal back in New England isn’t out of the question.
The Last Word
This story is mostly over. Diggs got his court verdict, then his league verdict. He gets to go back to playing football, and some contender just got their bargain WR2 of the summer. Expect a signing inside the next two weeks. The longer he sits, the lower his price drops, and somebody in the AFC is going to pounce.
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.
