For the second time in two years, Stefon Diggs finds himself on a new team. After being traded to the Houston Texans during free agency last year, Diggs recently signed a three-year deal with the New England Patriots. For a wide receiver who has constantly expressed his frustration about falling short of a Super Bowl appearance, his decision to sign with New England was surprising.
One of the key factors that urged him to sign with the Patriots was quarterback Drake Maye. The new franchise QB of New England showed promise in his rookie season. He made plays good enough to convince Stefon Diggs that he will be in safe hands.
Diggs was asked to share his thoughts on Drake Maye during his inaugural press conference as a Patriot. The four-time Pro Bowler sees traits similar to those of the Buffalo Bills’ QB Josh Allen in Maye.
Diggs played four years alongside Allen, and he recognizes his characteristics and traits when he sees them. Watching Drake Maye play last season and seeing the potential he carries brought a smile to the wideout’s face.
I’m excited. I really look forward to it. It’s crazy because when you as around, he has a lot of similarities-people say through the grapevine, he acts a lot like Josh. That was my guy, so I look forward to meeting and connecting with him.
Stefon Diggs said (H/T: Pro Football Talk)
Despite departing from Buffalo, the wideout respects Allen and actively vouched for him to win the MVP Award this year. The two have yet to meet, but Diggs is eager to find out if the chatter he has heard about Maye is true or not.
The New England Patriots look different than they did last season, and rightfully so. Mike Vrabel has wasted no time in getting to work since his appointment. His priority has been to improve the offense and that would not be possible without the key addition of a reliable wide receiver. Initially touted to be pursuing Chris Godwin, the Patriots turned to Diggs after Godwin opted to stay in Tampa Bay.
Stefon Diggs is confident that he can play a significant role in helping Drake Maye
The added benefit of pairing Diggs up with Drake Maye is that his experience will prove useful to the young quarterback.
I’ve been doing this for ten and a half years-I always add the half now- but I’ve played with a lot of quarterbacks. I’ve been around a lot of quarterbacks, so learning the quarterback, getting to know him, spending more time with him. Once you know somebody on a more personal level, I feel like it’s a lot of carry-over to the field, whether they’re risk-takers or like to play aggressive, like to play smart, and just honing in on what he’s good at.
Stefon Diggs said
Before Diggs experienced success and stability to have a good quarterback on his team, the receiver spent the first three years of his career with four different starting QBs.
Drafted in 2015, Diggs joined a Vikings franchise that alternated between Teddy Bridgewater and Shaun Hill before moving on to Sam Bradford and then Case Keenum before they drafted Kirk Cousins in 2018. Stefon Diggs spoke highly of Drake Maye’s performance in his rookie year.
We played him last year. He shows a lot of fight. He got that fiery quarterback, ‘I want to win’ mindset. That’s something that I get excited about and love to be around. But, as far as his development as a quarterback, I feel like that’s not really too much of my job. My job is to get up and catch the ball. I just look forward to getting back out there and being one of the weapons for him.
Stefon Diggs added
The wideout is confident that once the two understand each other’s game, they will be able to have a positive impact on the Patriots’ offense.
His tenure with the Texans was short-lived as an ACL tear mid-season led to him sitting out for the entire season. Diggs is on the road to recovery and expects to be ready by the time training camp opens. If Drake Maye is anything like Josh Allen, as Diggs has stated, then there is a lot to be excited about in New England.
