Stefon Diggs' best landing spots after Deebo Samuel returns to San Francisco

With Deebo Samuel returning to the San Francisco 49ers, one big-name veteran wide receiver is off the board. Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen and Tyreek Hill are all searching for new jobs, though. Of this bunch, Diggs offers the best combination of production and health.

Diggs is coming off a 1,013-yard season with the New England Patriots in which he was the No. 1 receiver on a team that made the Super Bowl. But his off-the-field issues and controversial personality have, with all likelihood, contributed to him still being available as training camp gets underway.

Some commonly mentioned suitors, including the Baltimore Ravens, have already ruled out adding him. Regardless, Diggs' talent might be too good for some wide receiver-needy teams to pass up. 

Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders could desperately need a No. 2 wideout opposite Terry McLaurin. Right now, either Luke McCaffrey or third-round pick Antonio Williams would occupy that role. As the Commanders look to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 and return to the playoffs, this remains a glaring need. Frankly, not upgrading their receiver room would be a disservice to Jayden Daniels. 

Not only is Diggs a clear talent upgrade, but he's a stylistic fit alongside McLaurin. From Diggs' perspective, the Commanders also offer him a chance to contribute to winning football. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted that the Commanders are intriguing to Diggs.

Given these factors, the Commanders are perhaps the most obvious suitor for his services. 

Las Vegas Raiders

Whether Kirk Cousins or Fernando Mendoza is the starting quarterback, the Las Vegas Raiders could use another wide receiver. While the Raiders have arguably the league's best tight end in Brock Bowers, they lack established options outside. Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor and Jack Bech have all flashed upside, but all of them appear to be complementary receivers. 

The Raiders feel poised to improve after a 3-14 season, but they could certainly use another pass-catcher. Earning a big role on an upstart team could appeal to Diggs. Not that the Raiders will be the next Patriots, but the situations are somewhat similar in terms of offering a path to a ton of targets and a promising young quarterback. It certainly doesn't hurt that Klint Kubiak's offense is conducive to wide receivers, as he showed the world by unlocking Jaxon Smith-Njigba last season. 

At the end of the day, I wouldn't be surprised if we see Diggs sporting the silver and black this season.

Kansas City Chiefs

After a down season, the Kansas City Chiefs are looking to return to Super Bowl contention. To accomplish this goal, getting back to the explosive offensive standards we've been accustomed to would be ideal. Kenneth Walker III should unlock their running game in a way we haven't seen in the Patrick Mahomes era, but there are still reasonable concerns about their passing game.

Rashee Rice is a clear No. 1 WR, but Xavier Worthy hasn't lived up to expectations as a first-round pick, Tyquan Thornton is pretty inconsistent and tight end Travis Kelce isn't getting any younger. Another factor to consider: Kansas City has never been scared to roll the dice on players with off-field issues. 

Overall, it's easy to see a world in which the Chiefs are in the market for another pass catcher, and Diggs feels like a logical fit. 

Indianapolis Colts

With Alec Pierce, Josh Downs and tight end Tyler Warren, the Indianapolis Colts have a solid, albeit not elite, core of pass catchers. After re-signing Pierce, the Colts traded Michael Pittman to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Indy could bring Diggs in to fill the void left behind by Pittman, and he'd likely slide in as the team's best possession wide receiver. 

General manager Chris Ballard's contract is up after this season. Thus, he could be eager to make a late offseason splash. The Colts haven't made the playoffs since 2020, though they've won eight or nine games in all but one of the intervening seasons.

Ballard could feasibly see Diggs as a player who can bolster the Colts' playoff chances and help make life easier for Daniel Jones upon his return from an Achilles injury. As such, the Colts shouldn't be discounted as a landing spot for Diggs. 

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