The New England Patriots paid Stefon Diggs handsomely in free agency in March to lead their wide receiver group -- on and off the gridiron. Paradoxically, he didn't show up for work on the first day of organized team activities (OTAs).
Why was Diggs not present for Wednesday's portion of New England's offseason workout program, you may ask? Apparently, he had better things to do involving a yacht and a mysterious pink substance.
Meanwhile, first-year head coach Mike Vrabel and the Patriots are left to pick up the pieces of the mess Diggs suddenly created. New England's new sideline general was asked about the situation a lot, answering six straight questions about it during his 11-minute press conference.
Patriots WR Stefon Diggs is making headlines for the wrong reasons
Talk about getting off on the wrong foot. Diggs is supposed to be the adult in their receiver room. It's partly why the Patriots signed him to a lucrative contract, in addition to his ability to make plays with the football. Yet, Vrabel ostensibly had to remind him of that when addressing the media regarding the matter.
"Well, it's something that we're aware of," Vrabel told reporters (h/t the Patriots' official transcript). "Obviously, we want to make great decisions on and off the field. ... Any conversations that I've had with Stefon [Diggs] will remain between him, I and the club."
While Diggs' attendance isn't required yet, he should at least be keeping a low profile while away from the Patriots. But the four-time Pro Bowler is doing the exact opposite and creating unwanted attention for all parties involved. And above all, his absence has left rising second-year franchise quarterback Drake Maye to try preparing for this season with a cast of unproven pass-catchers.
Maye's fellow draft classmates, Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, quickly showed why the Patriots brought in Diggs and incoming third-round rookie Kyle Williams. They were the first two New England wideouts to drop a pass during a relatively routine drill (h/t WEEI's Tom Carroll).
As of this writing, the NFL reportedly declined to comment on the video of Diggs that's gone viral for the wrong reasons. However, moments like this are why the Patriots gave themselves a potential out of the three-year $63.5 million deal they signed him to after 2025. New England gave itself an escape route if things don't work out, which is already proving to be a smart move.