ASHBURN, Va. — Everything was new but familiar as Stefon Diggs walked out of the Washington Commanders’ practice facility Friday in a No. 18 jersey and heard the roar of fans who had been awaiting his arrival.
“I got little bro with me today,” joked tight end Lawrence Cager, an offseason workout mate of Diggs’, as they headed to the field.
The jersey may one day be a relic — the veteran receiver has yet to settle on an official number for the season — but the temporary look felt fitting as Diggs took the field in helmets and shells for his first on-field work as a Commander.
“It’s only my first day out — F.D.O.,” he told reporters after the two-hour workout. “… I’m just excited to be at work. I had a little bit of a long offseason.”
After a lengthy courtship, the Commanders signed Diggs, a Gaithersburg, Md., native and former University of Maryland Terrapin, to a one-year contract worth up to $12 million this week. For him, it was a chance to return home and do so with a young quarterback who took the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game only two years ago.
For the Commanders, Diggs fills a years-long void. Terry McLaurin has been the team’s leading receiver since he was drafted in 2019, but he’s never had a true complement, another proven receiver who can consistently threaten defenses with polish and production. Washington’s lack of starting-level receivers was one of its weak spots even after the draft, when it selected Antonio Williams in the third round. Outside of McLaurin, only one of Washington’s receiver had more than 30 receptions in a season over the last five years. Treylon Burks had 33 — in 2022.
Although Diggs will turn 33 in November, he’s showed little sign of slowing down. He topped 1,000 receiving yards with the Patriots last season while playing only 55 percent of their offensive snaps.
“My numbers have always spoken for themself,” he said. “No matter who you like or what you say, the production has been there. … Numbers-wise, I mean, I’m not no mathematician, but …”
But both Diggs and the Commanders slow-played the offseason as they weighed their options. Washington, at one point, viewed disgruntled 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk as a potential option if he had been released by the 49ers. But he remains under contract with the club and his spree of bizarre social media posts over the last few months seemed to diminish his chance signing anywhere else.
Diggs, meanwhile, was bound to have a market, even with some off-field issues that remain unresolved. Diggs was earlier acquitted of felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault charges stemming from an alleged incident with his former chef, but he’s still dealing with multiple civil lawsuits.
Coach Dan Quinn said the Commanders have “a really good process” for vetting any off-field concerns of new players “so we were certainly comfortable with that process.”
Diggs said the extended length of his offseason “was new, but we had a little bit of an idea. … At this stage in my career, everybody knows what I want: I want to win, and I want to hold the trophy up. So, what better place to do it than back home?”
Diggs’ first practice with the Commanders was intentionally light. Quinn lauded the four-time Pro Bowler’s conditioning, but said the team would ease him in to allow him to get up to speed with the playbook. So, on Friday he was a full participant in the individual period, but did only a couple of receiver one-on-ones against defensive backs, and took only a few reps in 11-on-11.
Afterward, he stayed on the field with Jayden Daniels to catch extra passes and talk through some of the nuances of routes and timing.
“I learned that a little bit throughout my past five years, to see it how the quarterback sees it, not how you see it,” Diggs said. “… Only way you get the ball in this league is you make plays for your quarterback. That’s how you get them comfortable.”
Diggs provides Daniels and new offensive coordinator David Blough plenty of options. His versatility has been a hallmark of his 11 years in the NFL, and it’s helped him remain productive deep into his career.
That should continue in Washington, where Blough has already made a habit of moving receivers around.
“If you want the ball, you gotta be able to move around,” Diggs said. “I mean, you can go play one spot, but they cloud coverage and they double and it makes it harder. … It’s going to be hard to double somebody in this offense. … So, the biggest thing is for me is just my commitment to the game. I’ve been committed. I play outside. I played inside. I do a little bit out of the backfield, you know, if they let me. So, we’ll see.”
Diggs signed a three-year, $63.5 million contract with the Patriots last year and led the team with 85 catches and 1,013 receiving yards, a remarkable feat after tearing his ACL only nine months before the start of the season while with the Texans.
But the Patriots moved on after only one season, largely because of his contract; he was set to have a $26.5 million salary cap charge in 2026. That ensured he’d land on his fourth team in as many seasons.
“I can’t write a better story,” he said. “At this point in my career and what I want to do and being able to be healthy and coming off an ACL, having success and going to your hometown team and wanting to shine for them … I want to put on for my city. I’m always going to want to do that.”
