Rob Gronkowski makes feelings known on Stefon Diggs signing with Patriots - "He might not be No. 1"

Stefon Diggs has a new home. The star wide receiver signed a three-year, $69 million deal with the New England Patriots on Tuesday, instantly becoming the best weapon available for Drake Maye.

Diggs' deal has big numbers, but he has just $26 million guaranteed. He suffered a torn ACL midway through the 2024 season with the Houston Texans and will be 31 when the season starts. While his recovery has been ahead of schedule, the Patriots smartly avoided a big guarantee.

Speaking with Julian Edelman on their podcast, Dudes on Dudes, Rob Gronkowski shared his thoughts on the signing. Considering the need to improve the receiving group to accelerate Drake Maye's development, Gronkowski gave his seal of approval, even though the receiver is returning from a serious injury.

"I think it was the right move for New England to bring him in," he said. "New England needs a guy. They need wide receivers. They need a number one. Stefan Diggs might not be that number one, but he'll at least be a solid number two, and I'm sure he's still got some big play-making ability left in the tank. 31 years old, coming off an ACL.

"He's working every day at it. You know, he's already ahead of schedule. He's running full speed."

Details of Stefon Diggs' contract with the New England Patriots

The receiver has signed for an average of $23 million per season. According to Spotrac, he will be the 16th highest-paid receiver in the league, tying his average to Calvin Ridley, who joined the Tennessee Titans in 2024 on a four-year, $92 million deal.

Details of the contract are still unknown. However, the wide receiver is likely to quickly become one of the highest cap hits for New England in the 2025 season: the leading player currently is Mike Onwenu, who holds a cap hit of $21 million.

More importantly, the Patriots have now given a true weapon for second-year quarterback Drake Maye to accelerate his development. The lack of wide receivers was a problem for New England in 2024, as no pass catcher, including receivers and tight ends, had more than 700 yards in the whole season.