The Patriots have not had the fortune of having a game-changing wide receiver on their team for several years, with Julian Edelman arguably being the last player of that caliber. That’s why they needed to go into free agency aggressively in their pursuit of a clear-cut WR1 for Drake Maye, which took a while for the new regime to accomplish.

But that led them to sign Stefon Diggs, a longtime Bills playmaker who made New England’s defense look foolish on more than one occasion over the last four years.

Although he was immediately deemed the top pass catcher, there were questions about him coming off an ACL injury, and the unfavorable reputation he earned on his way out of Buffalo drew concerns, which haven’t looked like an issue thus far in his Patriots tenure.

He has actually shown a different side to himself over the last few months, with the most telling of his character since the start of training camp. It’s a side that the Bills might not have been lucky enough to have seen much during his time there, or, at the very least, later in his tenure, and makes him an even better addition to the Patriots’ offense than anyone could have imagined.

Bills fans may not recognize the Stefon Diggs showing up for the Patriots

Besides the apparent shift in energy from Diggs since signing with the Patriots, his impressive demeanor was on full display again during an interview with Kay Adams earlier this week.

He discussed the importance of being a leader on the team at this stage in his career, emphasizing that it requires taking accountability for your actions on and off the field.

“Being a leader isn’t always what you do or how you do it — it’s a level of accountability.”

Stefon Diggs on what it means to be a leader in the locker room 🗣️@heykayadams | @Patriots #NEPats pic.twitter.com/oGyItgGIEZ

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) July 30, 2025

Although this might be a side of Diggs that Buffalo saw behind the scenes, it wasn’t often that others saw his leadership in this way, especially toward the end of his tenure. In fact, we saw the complete opposite, with his competitive spirit causing dramatic scenes on the sidelines.

It’s partly what made the Patriots’ decision to take a gamble on him concerning for analysts and fans. But it’s clear that’s not going to be an issue in Foxboro.

Perhaps Diggs needed a change of scenery after a frustrating few years with the Bills, and it’s possible that suffering the first serious injury of his career changed his perspective on the NFL and his career, which brought out a better side of him as he joined the Patriots.

Whatever it might be, it’s apparent that the Patriots are getting the best version of Stefon Diggs possible. That’s even more significant given how young the roster is and the need for solid voices on the field and in the locker room.