While the Patriots haven’t yet announced any disciplinary action against Stefon Diggs, reports suggest that his removal from the team is still on the table.
Stefon Diggs has been finding himself in the spotlight ever since the boat video surfaced, showing him passing a bag containing a pink substance to some women at a party.
While the New England Patriots haven’t yet announced any disciplinary action against the wide receiver, reports suggest that nothing is off the table, not even Diggs’s removal from the team.
But if the Patriots decide to part ways with Diggs, what about the guaranteed money in his mega contract with the franchise? Here’s a closer look.
Loophole in Stefon Diggs’ contract with NE Patriots
The New England Patriots signed Stefon Diggs to a three-year, $69 million deal. It looks like a great deal on the surface. But due to the boat video controversy, there is a loophole that could be used to junk the deal.
Diggs was coming from a gruesome knee injury as he signed the contract. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio said that could be the Patriots’ escape hatch.
According to Florio, the $26 million guaranteed isn’t guaranteed after all. Since he suffered a torn ACL last season, the wideout isn’t entitled to a single penny until he passes a full physical.
Certain segments of his contract clause confirm that the Patriots’ cutting Diggs is at the table. According to Paragraph 26 (a) of the contract, Diggs will receive a $12 million signing bonus ($4 million in three parts). He has already received $4 million, with the next $4 million due on October 31, 2025, and the last $4 million due on March 31, 2025. But if the Patriots’ physician says that Diggs isn’t fit to participate in the team’s practice session and he isn’t fit to play, then the Patriots owe him nothing. Plain and simple.
If the Patriots’ physician believes that Stefon Diggs never healed from his knee injury, they get out of paying a big chunk of the contract. According to paragraph 27(e) of Diggs’ contract, the focus is on the “Pre-Existing Condition” of Diggs’ knee. That means if his contract ends because of his pre-existing knee injury, then the Patriots won’t have to pay him $10.6 million in guaranteed money besides the signing bonus.
