Inside the new Stefon Diggs deal
The numbers don't back up the initial reports.
It was reported as a three-year, $69 million deal with $26 million guaranteed. It is not.
The new Stefon Diggs contract falls short on both counts, based on the details reported by Albert Breer of SI.com.
Here they are:
1. Signing bonus: $12 million.
2. 2025 workout bonus: $200,000.
3. 2025 base salary: $2.9 million, fully guaranteed.
4. 2025 per-game roster bonus: $3.4 million total.
5. 2026 workout bonus: $200,000.
6. 2026 base salary: $20.6 million, $1.7 million of which is fully guaranteed and $6 million of which is guaranteed for injury at signing and becomes fully-guaranteed in March 2026.
7. 2026 per-game roster bonus: $1.7 million total.
8. 2027 roster bonus: $200,000.
9. 2027 base salary: $20.6 million.
10. 2027 roster bonus: $1.7 million total.
The contract has $4 million in 2025 incentives, with $500,000 unlocked at 70 catches, 80 catches, 90 catches, 100 catches, 1,000 yard, 1,100 yards, 1,200 yards, and 1,300 yards.
There's also an annual $500,000 Pro Bowl incentive.
The base value of the deal is $63.5 million, NOT $69 million. To get to $69 million, Diggs needs to make the Pro Bowl every year and catch 100 passes for 1,300 yards in 2025.
The guarantee at signing is $16.6 million. The total guarantee is $22.6 million, NOT $26 million.
Apparently, the initial reports included the $3.4 million in per-game roster bonuses in the guarantee. Even if they are, they still must be earned. And Diggs — who suffered a torn ACL last season — will lose $200,000 for each game his misses.
It's basically a one-year, $18.5 million deal that includes very high per-game roster bonuses. It can be $23 million, if he hits all incentives for 2025.
The Patriots can escape the deal by next March, with only $1.7 million (subject to offset) owed for 2026.
Obviously, an effort was made to make the Diggs deal look better than it is. It's not worth $23 million per year over three. It doesn't pay $26 million guaranteed. It has one year of security, with a team option as to whether it will continue for 2026 and then for 2027.
