How A.J. Brown trade impacts Stefon Diggs' possible Patriots return
How A.J. Brown trade impacts Stefon Diggs' possible Patriots return
Matt Legros, Patriots WireTue, June 2, 2026 at 10:05 AM UTC
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How A.J. Brown trade impacts Stefon Diggs' possible Patriots return
Now that A.J. Brown is a member of the New England Patriots, what does that mean for a potential reunion between the franchise and Stefon Diggs?
The Patriots released Diggs earlier in the offseason after he went for 1,013 yards receiving in 2025. The Maryland native was the Patriots’ leading receiver last season, in a year that culminated in New England finishing with the fourth-most receiving yards in the league with 4,459.
Despite talks of the Patriots bringing back Diggs for the 2026 season surfacing shortly after he was released, Brown’s arrival in town now gives the team a true No. 1 receiver. When it comes to having top talent in a receiving corps, the more the merrier. However, the Patriots also have Romeo Doubs, who himself is also a No. 1 option on a career trajectory trending toward him becoming a 1,000-yard receiver in the near future, if given a requisite amount of targets in New England.
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There are simply too many mouths to feed in New England. Hunter Henry is one of Patriots quarterback Drake Mays’s favorite targets and is likely to take a hit in target share next season with Brown now being in town. DeMario Douglas is in line for a bigger role on the team in 2026. The Patriots also have Mack Hollins, who was the team’s third most-targeted receiver last season.
It is likely that the Patriots will now look to trade Kayshon Boutte, who is approaching a contract year in 2026. Nevertheless, even if Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels were to shuffle his receiver alignment to feature Brown, Doubs and Diggs on the field together, if the team actually did re-sign the latter, there are only so many targets to go around, making a reunion with Diggs less likely.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: How A.J. Brown trade impacts Stefon Diggs' possible Patriots return
Source: “AOL Sports”
