NFL training camps are just a couple of weeks away, yet veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs remains unsigned. He ranks as the best offensive player left on the free agency market and will presumably land on a roster before the season gets underway, but his latest comments suggest that he will take on a more modest role than the one he held last year with the New England Patriots.
Diggs said in a video on his YouTube channel that he is the best No. 2 wide receiver in the NFL. He has the numbers to back it up, as he racked up at least 1,000 yards in every season since 2018 -- save for an injury-plagued 2024 season in which he played just eight games. The caveat, however, is that his best years came when he was the No. 1 option on his roster, not the No. 2 target.
"Everybody got a 1," Diggs said. "Opportunities aside, people might say there's seven real 1s. In my opinion, I can compete with anybody, but take those as your 1s. You can't name a No. 2 better than me. There's not a No. 2 on a team. Let's presumably give people the credit and just say, 'OK, you want to take the No. 1 spot away.' Name your No. 2 receiver right now. Tell me how much he makes. My last question is: Is he better than me?"
As a four-time Pro Bowler who in 2020 led the NFL in catches and receiving yards, it is hard to disagree with Diggs in his assessment of the league's wide receiver rankings. He has long commanded respect as a premier pass-catcher and has not shown much in the way of regression since that career year with the Buffalo Bills.
To take himself out of the same conversation as the NFL's most elite receivers, however, and to compare himself to the next tier of wideouts redefines how the league should view Diggs. That reframing might be what it takes to get him off the free-agent market and onto a roster before the season starts.
Why Stefon Diggs just became more signable
While Diggs argued that there are only seven true No. 1 receivers in the NFL, he conceded that every team at this point in the offseason already has an alpha dog in their wideout group. The 32-year-old is far more employable if he is willing to take No. 2 receiver money and to play second fiddle to a superior target, and in comparing himself to players of that ilk, it appears he is content to do so.
The contract Diggs signed with the Patriots in 2025 made him the 22nd-highest-paid player at his position last season (by average annual value), per Spotrac. If he is willing to occupy a secondary role on the deal he eventually signs for 2026, his asking price would likely be noticeably lower than the $21.2 million he was set to earn over the life of his three-year deal in New England.
Depending on how much of a pay cut Diggs is open to taking for his new role as a No. 2 target, he could sign nearly anywhere. The number of teams with enough cap space to give him lead receiver money is slim, whereas more than two-thirds of the league still has at least $10 million in cap space, per Over The Cap.
This also greatly increases Diggs' odds of landing on a contending team, as most teams in the playoff conversation already have a bona fide go-to weapon in their receiving corps.
2026 NFL WR dynamic duo rankings: Cowboys' Cee Dee Lamb-George Pickens tandem among elite Jared Dubin
Where Stefon Diggs ranks among No. 2 receivers
There is no doubt that if Diggs secures a No. 2 role, he would instantly become one of the NFL's most threatening secondary weapons. To place himself at the top of that list, though, requires some mental gymnastics.
Tee Higgins has long been considered the standard by which all No. 2s shall be measured. His partnership with Ja'Marr Chase forms the greatest one-two punch in any receiving unit in the league. The Dallas Cowboys also constructed an elite tandem last year and will once again, in 2026, roll out George Pickens as the Robin to CeeDee Lamb's Batman. Plus, Davante Adams is back for another year next to Puka Nacua with the Los Angeles Rams and just led the NFL last season in touchdown catches.
All three of those WR2s scored more touchdowns than Diggs did in 2026, and they did so as the secondary targets on their respective teams. Pickens even outproduced him by more than 400 yards.
If Diggs' target share decreases in his next situation, he will not have the production or skill set to compare with some of the more elite No. 2s.
Which teams need a No. 2 receiver
Diggs, redefining himself, offers a hint as to which teams might be interested in signing him. If he no longer views himself as the leader of a receiving corps but rather a difference-making running mate, he moves into play for teams in search of help in that No. 2 role.
The Washington Commanders seek a bounce-back year with a healthy Jayden Daniels at quarterback, but his supporting cast is questionable outside of Terry McLaurin. Competing at the top of the NFC East may require boosting that group. They also boast the third-most cap space, which gives them plenty of flexibility in negotiating with Diggs.
The New York Jets used a first-round pick on Omar Cooper Jr., but is he ready to contribute at a high level to a team that desperately needs to show signs of life? Giving Garrett Wilson a more veteran partner would raise the offense's floor.
Alec Pierce secured himself a huge payday with the Indianapolis Colts, but he is the only proven option in a cupboard that is suddenly quite bare with Michael Pittman Jr. out of the equation. If the Colts want to be as good as they think they are, they need help here.
Imagine a Diggs-and-Drake London pairing in the NFC South. The Atlanta Falcons locked up their greatest receiving asset on a long-term extension this offseason and own plenty of depth at the slot, but could greatly use another piece on the outside. Diggs' arrival would further elevate what is already one of the league's most elite supporting casts.
Add CBS Sports on Google Join the Conversation comments
