Stefon Diggs, a former wide receiver for the New England Patriots, was found not guilty yesterday of assault charges against his private chef.
Earlier this year, Diggs pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was initially charged with a misdemeanor assault and battery charged as well as a felony strangulation charge over a pay dispute. The entire trial only lasted two days before Diggs was found not guilty.
Free agent WR Stefon Diggs has been found not guilty of assault, battery, and strangulation of his former chef. pic.twitter.com/UtcEA28X8x
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) May 5, 2026
Diggs’ attorney speaks on the verdict
In an article on ESPN.com, Stefon Diggs’ attorney had the following to say on the matter:
“We have taken these allegations seriously from day one, and that’s exactly why we were eager for the facts to come to light through the legal process,” Mitch Schuster of Meister, Seelig & Schuster said in a statement. “… Professional athletes have a target on their back. When someone sees a uniform and a contract, they see leverage; they see a settlement. And they’re counting on that pressure in the court of public opinion to drive a default decision to settle regardless of the facts of the matter.
“The evidence has shown what we’ve maintained from day one: Mr. Diggs was wrongly accused, and this case represents exactly the kind of opportunistic targeting that players can face the moment they step off the field.”
What is next for Stefon Diggs?
Now that Stefon Diggs has been cleared, the conversation should move pretty quickly from legal headlines back to football. Teams looking for wide receiver help are not going to ignore a player who just came off a 1,000-yard season, even with everything that has surrounded him over the past few months.
More than likely, Diggs ends up signing a short-term contract with a team that feels like it is close. A contender makes the most sense here. Somewhere, he does not have to be the entire offense, but can step in and immediately contribute. At this stage, it is less about building around him and more about adding him to something that already works.
The NFL Personal Conduct Policy is still looming
That said, this is not going to be a normal free agency situation for Stefon Diggs. There is still the league to consider. The NFL reviewing things under the Personal Conduct Policy hangs over all of this, and teams will factor that into any decision they make. Nobody wants to sign a player only to lose him for part of the season. Every team has to factor in whether or not Diggs receives some sort of disciplinary action, like a suspension, that will impact their plans for the season. That uncertainty alone likely keeps this from turning into a long-term deal.
Diggs will find himself on a roster sooner rather than later
At this point, it feels like a matter of when, not if. Stefon Diggs is too productive to sit on the market for long, even with the extra layers teams have to think through. Someone is going to decide the upside outweighs the risk, especially if the price comes in on a short-term deal. The fit will matter, but so will timing. Training camps get closer, depth charts start to look thin, and suddenly a move like this becomes a lot easier to justify. When it happens, it probably will not shock anyone. The only real question left is which team decides to make the call first.
