It’s uncommon for a wide receiver to top 1,000 receiving yards, play in the Super Bowl, and still find himself on the free-agent market in mid-July with training camp fast approaching. Stefon Diggs, however, is exactly in that position after the New England Patriots released him. Even so, the veteran wide receiver remains optimistic and believes that, even in his 30s, he can still compete with anybody.

“My opinion, I can compete with anybody,” Diggs said this week. “But take those as your ones (WR1), right? You can’t name a number two better than me. There’s not a number two on a team. Let’s presumably give people the credit and just say, ‘Okay, you want to take the number one spot away?’ Name your number two receiver right now, and tell me how much he makes, and then my last question is: Is he better than me?”

Even though Diggs is a free agent, the wide receiver still has a legitimate resume to claim he can still be a WR1. Over his career, Diggs has 4 Pro Bowl selections, a First-team All-Pro selection, led the NFL in receptions and receiving yards in 2020, and has seven 1,000-yard receiving seasons in the last eight years.

On top of that, he’s now coming after another 1,000+ yard season with the Patriots. He recorded 85 receptions for 1,013 yards and helped the Patriots make the Super Bowl last season. So, it will be fair to say that if he signs somewhere else ahead of the 2026 season, he’d potentially be considered as WR1. Still, it makes you wonder: Even after a strong resume, why is Stefon Diggs a free agent? There’s not just one answer to this debate.

For starters, Diggs is 32 and will be 33 during the 2026 season. Before his Patriots stint, Diggs had already missed the second half of the 2024 season due to an ACL tear while playing for the Houston Texans. On top of that, the veteran receiver is probably not worth the asking price he’s looking for, because he’s not going to get younger from here. After all, one of the reasons the Patriots let him go, even after an efficient season, was his big cap hit, especially amid his off-field complications.

The Patriots had signed him on a three-year, $63.5 million contract ahead of the 2025 season, but let him go after just one year. Since then, it’s been more than four months. And while it’s true that Stefon Diggs can still compete to lead the wide receiver room of a team, it’s still uncertain where he will play in the 2026 season, which will also be his 12th season and fourth with a new team in as many seasons.