Stefon Diggs 'Ahead of Schedule' in Knee Injury Rehab After Landing Patriots Contract

New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs is happy with how his recovery from last season's knee injury is progressing.

At his introductory press conference with the franchise, Diggs said that he is "ahead of schedule" in his recovery from a torn ACL that ended his 2024 season.

"When the whistle blows," Diggs said, per Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk. "We’ll see. But right now, I’m ahead of schedule. I’m trying to stay ahead of schedule. I pretty much take it day by day. I try not to put the carriage before the horse, but here we are. Here’s the horse right here. I’ll let you know, though. We’ll keep playing it by ear and I’m going to stay ahead of schedule for now and I’ll let you all know."

Diggs signed a reported three-year, $69 million contract with the Patriots on Tuesday and will immediately step in as the top playmaker for second-year quarterback Drake Maye. Diggs spent 2024 with the Houston Texans, making 47 catches for 496 yards and three touchdowns before suffering the knee injury.

The Patriots went 4-13 for the second consecutive season in 2024 and the franchise has not had a 1,000-yard receiver since Julian Edelman in 2019. Diggs exceeded 1,000 receiving yards in every season from 2018 to 2023.

With the injury happening midway through the 2024 season, it looked like the 31-year-old could be at risk of missing a portion of the 2025 campaign. However, his current status means that he could enter the fold much sooner and help guide Maye's development as the Patriots look to make a leap under new head coach Mike Vrabel.