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Stefon Diggs of the New England Patriots makes a one handed catch

Spoiler alert: it’s hard to play sports in Boston. The New England Patriots’ newest (and only) super star, Stefon Diggs, certainly provides enough stories to keep the media occupied. Whether its on or off the field, Diggs is a headline machine.

This week’s iteration comes from the receiver’s sit down with famed reporter Diana Russini. In the interview, he was hesitant to say he would definitely be in playing shape by Week 1. This led to a bit of a press conference blow up from new head coach Mike Vrabel and team insider Phil Perry.

Perry is NBC Sports’ lead Patriots writer. The sparring match resulted in Vrabel calling him out by name and saying he was trying to “bait him into something”.

Perry Says Stefon Is Stressing Out Mike Vrabel

Perhaps leaving the presser with more to say on the Patriots number one receiver, Perry took to his show Quick Slants to voice his opinion on Diggs.

“It’s interesting, Tom, because there are little signs that he’s just becoming a bit of a pain in the posterior,” Perry said of Diggs, referencing Vrabel’s temperament at the podium. “For Mike Vrabel to sort of have to be [Diggs’] public relations assistant and tell us what he really meant in his commentary to a member of the national media, I don’t know if that irks Mike Vrabel or if he’s just looking to go back and forth with somebody in the media.”

Then Perry takes it one step further, asking if Diggs is even worth the trouble at this point in his career.

“It all sort of adds up to, there’s a lot going on with this guy for a guy who doesn’t look like a No. 1 receiver anymore,” Perry said.

‘He’s A No. 2 At This Point In His Career’

I commend Perry’s criticism of the receiver because it is clearly grounded in a legitimate concern that, at 31-years-old coming off a torn ACL, this NFL legend might not come back looking the same way.

Above all else, the insider was annoyed with the timing. He called Diggs camp “quiet” thus far, saying he has rarely stood out during the full team periods. However, he said this week he felt as though it was changing. Citing Wednesday in particular as the receivers best practice yet.

Then he does the sit down with Russini and changes the narrative around his play. The media, that was focused on how good he looks against his former team, is now talking about the quotes he provided off the field.

This lead Perry to his strongest statement yet, this time on Early Edition, a live TV program airing on NBC Sports Boston.

“How severe a headache is it? Because if we’re talking migraine, if it turns into a migraine, I’m gonna say no. I just don’t think he’s a No. 1 receiver at this point in time,” Perry said in response to the question of whether or not he is worth the ‘headache’. “Let’s rephrase that: If he’s a headache, in my opinion, not worth it. He’s a No. 2 at this point in his career. I don’t think he’s going to be a thousand-yard receiver. I think Pop Douglas will be the guy who ends up getting more targets and ends up with more yards than him this year. I also think Kayshon Boutte is sort of coming along here. … I would hate to see a promising, young receiver have his growth stunted by a guy — if he is going to be a headache — who’s a headache.”

Evan Cormier is a former Division I football quarterback with a Master’s degree in Sports Communication and Media Arts from Sacred Heart University. More about Evan Cormier