Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs faces strangulation, assault charges

New England Patriots star wide receiver Stefon Diggs faces strangulation and other criminal charges in connection with an incident earlier this month, police said.

News of the charges emerged after a court hearing Tuesday in Dedham, Massachusetts. It’s unclear what led to the charges, which include felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery.

Diggs’ attorney, David Meier, said in an emailed statement that the player “categorically denies these allegations.”

Meier said the allegations never happened, describing them as unsubstantiated and uncorroborated.

“The timing and motivation of the allegations are very clear: They are the direct result of a financial dispute between the employee and the employer that was not resolved to the employee’s satisfaction,” Meier wrote.

In a statement, the Patriots said they also support Diggs: “We support Stefon,” the team said.

Diggs, 32, established himself as one of the NFL’s best wide receivers during a run with Minnesota and Buffalo from 2018 to 2023, when he had six straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons and was selected to the Pro Bowl four times.

After a lackluster stint in Houston last year, Diggs found himself in New England, signing a three-year, US$69 million contract in free agency that guaranteed him $26 million.

Diggs has proven to be a reliable target for second-year quarterback Drake Maye and is one of the main reasons the team has once again clinched the AFC East title as the team heads into the playoffs.

Off the field, however, his tenure with the Patriots got off to a rocky start when a video surfaced on social media in May showing Diggs passing what appeared to be a bag of pink crystals to women on a boat.

The substance was unclear and an NFL spokesperson said the league would not comment. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said the team will handle this matter internally.