Stefon Diggs and the New England Patriots are on a roll. Under new head coach Mike Vrabel, who seems to be running a tight ship in Foxborough, New England is riding a four-game winning streak heading into Week 8. For the first time in a while, the Patriots are coming together. However, the lingering question mark over No. 1 wide receiver Stefon Diggs is a cause for concern, especially with a tough matchup against a solid Cleveland Browns defense on Sunday.
Let’s examine the receiver’s injury situation more closely to determine whether rookie quarterback Drake Maye needs offensive help from elsewhere in Week 8.
Is Stefon Diggs Out for Week 8?
The veteran wideout has been dealing with a nagging chest issue since the Patriots’ 25-19 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 6. In that game, he saw his second-lowest campaign production with just 28 receiving yards. However, the issue didn’t hinder him much in their 31-13 victory against the Tennessee Titans the following week, as he recorded one of his better games of the season with 69 receiving yards.
While Diggs missed practice on Wednesday, leaving his status for the weekend up in the air, his absence might have been for precautionary reasons. According to the NFL, his questionable designation on Wednesday could be “maintenance-related.” Since Diggs suffered no setbacks against the Titans and hauled in seven passes, there is a strong case that he’ll be fully active again versus the Browns.
New England’s depth behind the former Buffalo Bills receiver includes Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, and Kayshon Boutte, along with tight ends Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper. Boutte has established himself as the best of the rest behind Diggs. The third-year receiver out of LSU had a fantastic start to his campaign with a 103-yard performance against the Las Vegas Raiders on opening week.
After that, he slowed down before picking things up again in recent weeks. In their win at New Orleans, Boutte nearly secured his second 100-yard game of the season when he put up 93 yards and two touchdowns for his best outing of the 2025-26 campaign.
Behind him, Henry has been leading the rest of the receiving corps, which has been an invaluable asset to Maye, next to Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson’s run game. The Patriots’ receivers must be on top of their game this week. The Browns’ top-ranked run defense means Maye could lean more on his pass catchers on Sunday afternoon.
