When the news broke about Stefon Diggs's contract with the New England Patriots, headlines touted a three-year, $69 million deal, with $26 million guaranteed. However, the reality is tangled in contract stipulations, and it surfaced prominently when Diggs suffered a torn ACL during the 2024 season.
Our deep dive into the actual contract reveals a crucial detail: Diggs isn't guaranteed a penny until he successfully clears a full physical, inclusive of his injured knee, as assessed exclusively by the team's physician. Thus, a question emerges — if the Patriots decide to release Diggs, do they owe him anything?
This complex situation got traction when Scott Zolak of the Patriots Radio Network brought up the possibility of cutting ties with Diggs. To understand what Diggs might still claim if he’s released, let’s crack open the contract.
Initially, under paragraph 26 of his contract detailing the signing bonus, Diggs stands to receive $12 million, broken into staggered payments. Yet, paragraph 26(b) attaches a critical condition: all payments depend on Diggs passing a physical that shows he’s ready to practice and play.
This allows the Patriots, at least theoretically, to owe Diggs nothing if the physician — who is, after all, hired by the club — decides his knee isn’t up to scratch yet. While this isn't a carte blanche to void the contract, it’s a tactical loophole.
Further, paragraph 27(e) talks about a “Pre-Existing Condition,” effectively stripping Diggs of any additional guarantees if his contract is terminated due to his existing knee issues or related conditions. This escape clause becomes irrelevant only if Diggs passes the crucial physical.
Elsewhere in the contract, standard default clauses safeguard the Patriots against Diggs’s behavior. The clause mentions he must refrain from unlawful or immoral conduct. While his recent involvement in a questionable boat video raised eyebrows, proving it involved illegal activity would be burdensome.
Considering all angles, the simplest play for the Patriots could be citing a failed physical, foregoing further payment, and preparing for potential grievance cases akin to their negotiation with Antonio Brown, where they settled for less than they technically owed.
The bottom line? Unless Diggs can pass his recovery milestone and puts on his Patriots jersey ready to compete, the high-profile $69 million appears more paper tiger than ironclad guarantee.
