Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has a new weapon.
The team agreed Wednesday to sign wide receiver Stefon Diggs to a one-year deal worth up to $12 million, a source familiar with the negotiations told The Washington Times.
Diggs, 32, spent last season with the New England Patriots. He recorded 85 receptions for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns in his lone season with them.
The Maryland product provides an immediate boost for a Commanders wide receiver room that was widely criticized for lacking star power as training camp kicked off.
Veteran Terry McLaurin led the group as an established top target, but the former Pro Bowler missed seven games last season due to a leg injury.
Before adding Diggs, Washington lacked a clear second option behind McLaurin.
Third-year receiver Luke McCaffrey and second-year pro Jaylin Lane appeared next in line for targets, but neither has fully emerged in Washington. Other options include journeyman Van Jefferson, former Tennessee Titans first-rounder Treylon Burks and third-round rookie Antonio Williams.
Deebo Samuel, who led the Commanders in receptions last season, left in free agency to rejoin the San Francisco 49ers. He was the only key option left standing after injuries to McLaurin and Noah Brown.
The Commanders were left oscillating between inconsistent options like Burks and veteran Chris Moore during the 5-12 campaign of 2025.
An offseason move for 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who openly courted the Commanders throughout the summer, has yet to materialize. The Arizona State product — who describes Daniels as his best friend — is still under contract with San Francisco and has refused to report to the Niners’ facility to apply for reinstatement. Aiyuk missed all of 2025 after choosing to recover from a right knee injury away from the team.
The 49ers placed the former All-Pro on the reserve/left team list late in the season. His high-profile attempts on social media in recent months to secure his release or a trade to Washington have proved unsuccessful.
Diggs revived his career with New England last season following a torn ACL that ended his tenure with the Houston Texans after eight games in 2024.
The four-time Pro Bowler showed off elite separation and route-running during the Patriots’ run to the Super Bowl last year. But New England released Diggs in March, instead signing former Green Bay Packer Romeo Doubs and trading for Philadelphia Eagles star A.J. Brown.
Signing with Washington marks a homecoming for Diggs, who grew up in nearby Montgomery County, Maryland.
But Diggs, like Aiyuk, is not without issues. Authorities arrested Diggs in December after his personal chef accused him of strangulation and assault following a dispute over her pay. A jury found him not guilty in May.
An NFL investigation determined that there was insufficient evidence to suspend Diggs under the league’s personal conduct policy.
But the former Minnesota Viking is still involved in a civil suit with Christopher Griffith, who claims that Diggs assaulted him in 2023. Diggs filed a countersuit claiming defamation.
Diggs will have about a month to learn the fresh playbook designed by first-year offensive coordinator David Blough. Washington opens its preseason slate with an exhibition against the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 14. The regular season opener in Philadelphia against the Eagles is set for Sept. 13.
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