Stefon Diggs has agreed to a one-year contract with the Washington Commanders worth up to $12 million with incentives, according to reports on August 5, 2026. The deal ends a lengthy free agency stretch and reunites the four-time Pro Bowl receiver with his home region, pairing him with quarterback Jayden Daniels and receiver Terry McLaurin as Washington looks to build on last season’s playoff push.
Stefon Diggs grew up in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and played college football at the University of Maryland before entering the NFL. The signing gives Washington an established second receiving option after a 2025 season with the New England Patriots, where he caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns. He was released by New England in March 2026 before the team’s cap guarantees kicked in.
Why Washington Made the Move
Washington entered the 2026 offseason with its target distribution concentrated heavily around McLaurin. The team’s younger receivers, including Antonio Williams, Luke McCaffrey, Jaylin Lane, Treylon Burks, and Van Jefferson, had not produced consistently, leaving a gap at the No. 2 receiver spot.
Stefon Diggs fills that need directly. He operates well in short-to-intermediate routes and complements a passing offense that also stretches the field vertically. His route running and reliable hands give Daniels a trusted target on third downs and in the red zone, while also drawing coverage away from McLaurin.
Before signing, Stefon Diggs said publicly that he still considered himself the best No. 2 receiver in the league, a comment that signaled his willingness to accept a complementary role rather than demand a No. 1 workload. That stance appears to have shaped how his market unfolded, ending with a one-year deal rather than a longer commitment.
Career Timeline and Milestones
Minnesota selected Diggs in the fifth round, 146th overall, in the 2015 NFL Draft out of Maryland. Over an 11-year career, he built a reputation as one of the league’s most precise route runners.
With the Vikings from 2015 to 2019, Diggs became a primary receiving option, highlighted by his walk-off touchdown catch against the New Orleans Saints in the 2017 NFC Divisional Playoff game, known as the Minneapolis Miracle. Buffalo acquired him by trade in March 2020, and he earned four consecutive Pro Bowl selections there, leading the NFL in receptions (127) and receiving yards (1,535) in 2020, a season that also brought first-team All-Pro honors.
Houston traded for Stefon Diggs ahead of the 2024 season, but a midseason ACL injury ended his year early. He signed a contract with New England in March 2025, started all 17 games, and posted his seventh career 1,000-yard season while recovering from knee surgery. New England released him in March 2026, before cap guarantee deadlines took effect, just one year into that deal.
Year-by-Year Receiving Statistics
| Year | Team | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns | Yards Per Catch |
| 2015 | Minnesota Vikings | 52 | 720 | 4 | 13.8 |
| 2016 | Minnesota Vikings | 84 | 903 | 3 | 10.8 |
| 2017 | Minnesota Vikings | 64 | 849 | 8 | 13.3 |
| 2018 | Minnesota Vikings | 102 | 1,021 | 9 | 10.0 |
| 2019 | Minnesota Vikings | 63 | 1,130 | 6 | 17.9 |
| 2020 | Buffalo Bills | 127 | 1,535 | 8 | 12.1 |
| 2021 | Buffalo Bills | 103 | 1,225 | 10 | 11.9 |
| 2022 | Buffalo Bills | 108 | 1,429 | 11 | 13.2 |
| 2023 | Buffalo Bills | 107 | 1,183 | 8 | 11.1 |
| 2024 | Houston Texans | 47 | 496 | 3 | 10.6 |
| 2025 | New England Patriots | 85 | 1,013 | 4 | 11.9 |
Stefon Diggs has topped 1,000 receiving yards in seven of his last eight full seasons, with his ACL-shortened 2024 campaign in Houston as the only exception. He turns 33 in November 2026, which makes this one-year Washington deal a low-risk, short-term addition for a team trying to maximize its championship window while Daniels remains on his rookie contract.
Inside His 2025 Season With New England
Stefon Diggs lone season in New England showed he could still produce at a high level after major knee surgery. His average depth of target dropped to 8.3 yards, reflecting a shift toward shorter, higher-percentage routes, but his efficiency numbers stayed strong.
He posted a 27.0 percent target rate, ranking 13th among qualified NFL wide receivers, along with 2.44 yards per route run. He caught 83.3 percent of his 102 targets and gained 354 total yards after the catch, averaging 4.4 yards after catch per reception. These numbers point to a receiver who relies on leverage and precise footwork rather than pure speed, a style that let him play all 17 games in his first season back from ACL surgery.
In Washington, Stefon Diggs is expected to handle high-volume possession targets between the numbers while serving as a primary option on third downs and in the red zone.
Legal Issues Resolved Before Signing
Diggs’ free agency was delayed for months by legal proceedings connected to an alleged assault involving his former personal chef. He faced felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault and battery charges tied to that dispute. On May 4, 2026, a jury found him not guilty on all counts.
The NFL had opened its own personal conduct investigation separate from the criminal case. On June 12, 2026, the league informed Diggs that it found insufficient evidence of a policy violation, clearing him to play the 2026 season without suspension. That decision removed a major obstacle for teams that had been cautious about signing him.
Stefon Diggs still faces separate civil litigation unrelated to the criminal case. He filed a defamation lawsuit in November 2025 against a man who had publicly and falsely claimed Stefon Diggs drugged and sexually assaulted him. He is also named as a defendant in a separate suit accusing him of falsely claiming a man stole his vehicle and having associates assault that man. Both civil cases remain unresolved and are moving through the courts at a typical pace for civil litigation.
What It Means for Washington’s Offense
Adding Stefon Diggs gives Daniels, the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, a second proven target alongside McLaurin. It also reduces the coverage attention defenses can focus solely on McLaurin, since Diggs can operate effectively from the slot or the perimeter.
If he stays healthy, Washington gains a dependable possession receiver with playoff experience and a track record of production across four different quarterback situations. The full details of Stefon Diggs contract, including guarantees and incentive structure, had not been formally released by the team at the time these reports circulated, so the exact financial breakdown remains unconfirmed.
The signing represents Washington’s clearest offseason move to add proven veteran talent while Daniels remains on a cost-controlled rookie contract, a window teams typically try to maximize before a young quarterback’s next deal raises the roster’s overall cost.
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