On Thursday, Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs had one of his best games of the season, his third 100-yard day of this year, when he caught nine of the 11 passes thrown his way (he probably dropped a 10th, but never mind that) for 105 yards. Diggs now has 659 yards receiving on 59 catches this year.
That’s big, of course, for a guy who signed a much-criticized three-year, $69 million contract with the Patriots in the offseason, and who was not even New England’s first choice to head up its wide receiver room. Coming off an ACL surgery at age 31, Diggs was expected to take a big step backward. Instead, Pro Football Focus rates him as the No. 9 receiver in the NFL.
And while he was making his presence felt in Foxboro in the Patriots’ 27-14 win over the Jets this week, their eighth straight, he was also adding to his production elsewhere: Diggs and his partner, musician Cardi B, welcomed a baby boy.
Stefon Diggs Has Not Mentioned Baby
Diggs himself remained mum on the birth of the baby, and when, exactly, it was born is not clear (probably before the Patriots played, though Diggs did not mention it). But on Instagram, Cardi B made the announcement, writing:
“A new baby into my world, and one more reason to be the best version of me, one more reason to love me more than anything else or anyone else so I can continue giving my babies the love and life they deserve. This next chapter is Me vs. Me! It’s me against all odds me against everything meant to get in my way. I’ve started prepping for tour getting my body right getting my mind right.”
It is Cardi B’s fourth child, and her first with Diggs.
Patriots Will Attract Veterans Going Forward
As for Diggs’ career revival, he now figures to be the poster child for veterans wondering if they should sign with the Patriots going forward. New England had a difficult time finding players willing to join an outfit that had gone 8-26 over the past two years, and had to overpay the likes of Diggs, Milton Williams and Carlton Davis to get them to Foxboro.
That won’t be the case going forward. Coach Mike Vrabel has established a program players want to be a part of, and second-year quarterback Drake Maye is clearly the kind of signal-caller who makes those around him better.
Patriots Culture Changing Around Stefon Diggs
Of course, Diggs is familiar with the role of a dad, and he’s been a sort of veteran NFL dad for the young players on this Patriots team. He is the one whose pregame speeches fire up the group, and back in the locker room, even with the winning streak, he is the one who keeps them focused on the task at hand.
He was asked what it has been like to be on the winning streak, and shrugged it off, reminding everyone that this team was once 1-2.
“You’ve got to tell me. We just take it each week, one week at a time. Y’all got a different vantage point than what we’re seeing,” Diggs said.
“But being a part of it is definitely special. It’s fun. You know what I’m saying? It’s exciting. People kind of count us out a little bit during the beginning of the year when things weren’t going right, but it’s easy to do that. So, for us, just keeping that mindset of being hungry, being humble, and when things are going right, just keep trying to duplicate that process. We’ll replicate that process to generate wins.”
