Insider Reveals The Alec Pierce Reason Why Patriots Released Stefon Diggs

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The New England Patriots have reportedly made their first major move of the offseason, as they are set to release Stefon Diggs in a cap-saving move. While Diggs was the Pats' top wide receiver in 2025, the front office will clear $16.8 million in cap space by moving on from him.

With Diggs headed for the exit door, New England now needs to work on finding more help for star quarterback Drake Maye. According to reports, it sounds like that's precisely what they are going to do, as the team was quickly linked to Indianapolis Colts' wide receiver Alec Pierce in the wake of Diggs' release.

"Per sources, the Patriots have been in on the big names on the WR free-agent market next week and are believed to be prepared to spend big," NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported in a post on X. "Alec Pierce is among the names they’ve been eyeing. The trade market is also an option."

Pierce is widely believed to be the top option available in free agency at the wide receiver position, and after the Colts placed the transition tag on Daniel Jones on Tuesday, it seems like the big-play threat is set to hit the open market. New England could also look to the trade market, where guys like A.J. Brown and DJ Moore have quickly emerged as potential targets early in the offseason.

In a perfect world, the Patriots would have been able to restructure Diggs' contract and keep him in town, but the two sides simply couldn't find common ground on a new deal. Now, the front office will have to put in the work to make sure they are able to properly replace Diggs in the 2026 campaign and beyond.

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