Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs did not play in the preseason opener for what head coach Mike Vrabel described as a coach’s decision. But Patriots wide receivers coach Todd Downing says that decision in no way reflects any concerns about Diggs’ status as he recovers from a torn ACL.
Diggs has been cleared for full participation in practice, and Downing said that Diggs is doing what the Patriots want him to do, even when not playing in the preseason or sometimes not getting a lot of balls thrown his way in practice.
“I think where he’s at in his process right now is where we want him to be,” Downing said. “He’s working hard when he’s out there with his reps and you see him making some plays. The big thing with him is understanding that we can’t confuse results with the process. So if there’s a day he doesn’t have a whole bunch of production, that doesn’t mean he didn’t do his job and get open.”
Downing said the most important thing for Diggs is understanding his role in offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ system and being ready to execute when the regular season starts.
“The process for him is gonna have to be learning this system and learning exactly what the quarterback and what Josh are looking for, and making sure that he is in the right spot at the right time,” Downing said. “As he continues to refine that, I think he’ll continue on the trajectory we expect him to be on.”
At times in his career, Diggs has been among the NFL’s best wide receivers. The Patriots are betting that he can return to that level, even after a serious knee injury and in the season when he will turn 32 years old.
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