The New England Patriots signed four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs to a three-year, $63.5 million deal this offseason. After Stefon Diggs suffered a torn ACL injury, the Patriots are hopeful that Diggs can return to form for the 2025 NFL season. They need his leadership to help develop young Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.

The goal is for Stefon Diggs to reemerge as a No. 1 wide receiver in the NFL. The Boston Herald reported that Maye had completed 14/15 passes in practice during early training camp. Diggs caught all four of his targets. The Boston Globe also reported that Stefon took 19 snaps with Drake Maye on the fourth day. Each play varied in terms of intensity, but he finished with two catches and one drop, his first of camp.

Despite coming off a torn ACL injury, most of the Stefon Diggs chatter isn’t on his miracle recovery, but on his relationship with Cardi B. Diggs has too much noise around him to start the NFL season. It seems to fly under the radar how remarkable his knee recovery was this offseason. NFL critics don’t seem to understand how Stefon Diggs performed a miracle injury recovery.

How Did Stefon Diggs Recover From His Injury So Quickly?

Diggs played only eight games for the Houston Texans in 2024. He was on pace to have a normal season that NFL fans have come to expect from Diggs. Despite being 31 years old and coming off a major injury, the Patriots feel confident in Stefon’s ability to bounce back in 2025. His current contract is low-risk, high-reward. Of course, Diggs is also heavily featured in trade rumors.

Related: Why New England Patriots Signed Stefon Diggs Over DK Metcalf Trade: Report

According to a report from Sports Illustrated, nine months is the absolute minimum time that the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommends for an athlete to play football. As of today, Stefon Diggs suffered his injury exactly nine months ago.

However, data from SI’s report claims that NFL athletes need 10.5 to 12 months on average to fully recover from a torn ACL. This number is typically higher for wide receivers. Despite Stefon being labeled as the “riskiest move in the NFL,” Diggs received high praise all spring about his recovery process.

“If you wasn’t here every day with me in rehab, you probably would look at me four-five months like, damn, that’s fast,” Diggs emphasized. “Yeah, but you ain’t be here every day, you ain’t been doing what I’ve been doing… you haven’t been as consistent as I’ve been.”

Can Diggs Be a No. 1 NFL Wide Receiver Again?

No one doubts his talent. Diggs himself said that during his recovery, he wasn’t concerned with becoming the same player as we remember him. “I’m focused on being better than before,” he said. Dr. Brian Lau, a renowned expert orthopedic surgeon at Duke University Hospital who specializes in shoulder and knee injuries, comments on Stefon’s miraculous recovery as well:

“One of the biggest things with [Diggs] is his route running and his ability to cut… that’s something that I would want to make sure that he’s very comfortable with on his own, like solo drills or one-on-one drills… then once he gets more confident… you get him into more group drills before getting him into a scrimmage situation and eventually in the game situations. But this is kind of progressive…”

On his injury, Stefon Diggs also commented that “Not being able to do what you want to do is hard. Barely walking, crutches, braces. Ready to cry everyday like, bro, why? Now… we running, running, jumping, cutting, finishing, sprinting. I can’t lose. I’m happy.”