The New England Patriots brought in veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs to assist in the development of quarterback Drake Maye, and in the process, Diggs padded his bank account with a significant amount of cash and a chance to add more next week.
Stefon Diggs Plays Massive Role in Week 17, Cashes In Big
The Patriots have enjoyed a strong 2025-26 season, and while much of that success can be attributed to the play of Maye and the coaching of Mike Vrabel, Diggs has also played a major role.
Although he experienced a lull from Weeks 12 to 15, catching just eight passes on 11 targets for 72 yards in that span, Diggs now has 82 receptions for 970 yards and four touchdowns through Week 17. He reached those totals after catching six passes for 101 yards and a touchdown against the New York Jets in Week 17. He has helped elevate the Patriots to fourth in PFSN’s Offense Impact metric, in which they hold an 85.6 grade.
Heading into the game, Diggs had 76 catches for 869 yards and three touchdowns. Those numbers are significant because of the performance-based incentives built into his contract. Here are the incentives, per Spotrac:
- 70 catches: $500k
- 80 catches: $500k
- 90 catches: $500k
- 100 catches: $500k
- 1,000 receiving yards: $500k
- 1,100 receiving yards: $500k
- 1,200 receiving yards: $500k
- 1,300 receiving yards: $500k
- Make the Pro Bowl: $500k
Before Week 17, Diggs had earned $500,000 for reaching 70 catches. With 76 receptions entering the game, his fourth catch triggered another incentive, earning him an additional $500,000.
With 4 receptions today, #Patriots WR Stefon Diggs has secured another $500,000 bonus, raising his incentives earned to $1M.
The 32-year-old needs 64 receiving yards to add another $500k.
— Spotrac (@spotrac) December 28, 2025
“With 4 receptions today, #Patriots WR Stefon Diggs has secured another $500,000 bonus, raising his incentives earned to $1M,” the Spotrac X account posted. PFSN’s Ryan Gosling also noted this heading into Week 17.
“The 32-year-old needs 64 receiving yards to add another $500k,” it continued.
As noted, Diggs could earn up to $1 million more in Week 18 if he reaches additional incentive thresholds. At the time of Diggs’ fourth catch, he needed 64 more receiving yards, though he added two more receptions after Spotrac’s post.
With Week 18 approaching and Diggs being a veteran, some may wonder whether the Patriots will limit his snaps. New England is 13-3 and closes the regular season at home against the Miami Dolphins.
However, the Patriots still have meaningful stakes in the finale. While they have already secured a playoff spot and are likely to win the AFC East, they remain in contention for the No. 1 seed in the conference.
If the Denver Broncos lose to the Los Angeles Chargers and the Patriots defeat the Dolphins, New England would earn the top seed.
Diggs has a legitimate chance to add another $1 million in Week 18, particularly with fellow wide receiver Mack Hollins now on injured reserve.
