Patriots' Stefon Diggs Reportedly Cleared for Full Participation After Knee Injury

On the day veterans are scheduled to report to training camp, the New England Patriots received good news about Stefon Diggs' availability as he works his way back from a torn ACL.

Per The Athletic's Dianna Russini, Diggs has been cleared for full participation at training camp.

Russini added the Patriots will monitor Diggs' reps early on as he ramps up for the start of the regular season.

Diggs suffered the injury in Week 8 last season while playing for the Houston Texans. He signed a three-year, $63.5 million contract with the Patriots as a free agent in March.

There had been indications that Diggs would be able to take part in practices as soon as training camp opened. He wasn't among the players New England put on the physically unable to perform list put out on Friday.

Typical ACL recovery time for NFL athletes ranges from 10-12 months, so Diggs being fully cleared for practice nine months after his injury is a great sign that he could be back to full strength by the time the regular season begins.

Wednesday will mark the Patriots' first official practice of training camp. That will provide a better sense of how explosive Diggs looks at this stage of his recovery.

The Patriots brought in Diggs to provide a boost to their receiving corps and give second-year quarterback Drake Maye a go-to option on the outside. His age and injury history are cause for some concern that he can fully help transform the passing game, but there's very little downside even if this doesn't pan out like the team hopes.

In just eight games with the Texans, Diggs had 47 receptions and 496 yards. He would have ranked third in receptions and fourth in receiving yards on the 2024 Patriots with those numbers.

Depending on how quickly the Patriots want to get Diggs' in-game reps, he could potentially be on the field for their preseason opener against the Washington Commanders on Aug. 8.

The Patriots will open the regular season hosting the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 7.