New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs was released from New England Patriots after one season. Diggs was first drafted into the National Football League (NFL) in 2015 where he played for the Minnesota Vikings. After ten years in Minnesota, Diggs left to play with the Buffalo Bills when he was drafted in 2020. Despite never going making it past the playoffs in his 10 years of being in the NFL, Diggs and the Patriots played in the 2026 Super Bowl.
Diggs was signed to the Patriots in the fifth round and only spent one season with the team before making his first Super Bowl appearance. The Patriots lost the Super Bowl 29-13 to the Seattle Seahawks. Following the loss, after leaving the stadium, Diggs was arrested for assault.
Diggs’s private chef Jamila Adams stated that he physically assaulted him in December of 2025 after they had a verbal fight. She waited until the day of the Super Bowl to testify against him, where police officers were waiting to arrest him. According to Adams, Diggs grabbed her by the neck and began choking her. Diggs pleaded innocent to all charges and his attorney Andrew Kettlewell argued that there was no evidence of any assault, as well as that Adams waited weeks to come forward, suggesting that she was just seeking a pay out.
“Just like any other person in this country, rich or poor, Mr. Diggs sits here an innocent man,” Kettlewell said.
Although Adams argues that she was scared to come forward back when it happened, her lack of evidence suggests that she was chasing after a payout. She was seen in New York the day after the supposed fight happened and was dancing.
Adams did not have a lot of evidence against Diggs so the trial is still ongoing due to Diggs’s complicated, criminal past that involves other forms of violence. Diggs, being a famous football player, became a key part of Adams’ defense as she argued that he used his wealth to get away with his criminal charges in the past. Kettlewell continues to argue that Adams clearly only has a financial motive and her lack of evidence makes her look guilty of lying.
Before the trial even came to a conclusion on the decision, Diggs decided to step down from the Patriots with an Instagram post saying his goodbyes.
“Thank you for a hell of a year. We are family forever. Until we meet again,” Diggs said.
On May 5, in under 90 minutes, the jury came to a decision and decided that Diggs was not guilty of all charges on account of assault and battery and the jury came to the decision that Adams was only seeking a payout.
Although Diggs won the case, his morality became questionable. The NFL also announced that they will be having their own private investigation to ensure that Diggs does not bring any negative attention to the league.
