New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs took the field on Sunday, January 4, just days after news broke that he was accused of assaulting his live-in private chef during an altercation in December.
With Diggs, 32, facing charges of felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery, some have asked why he is still allowed to play, even though Diggs has denied the claims.
“Stefon Diggs categorically denies these allegations,” Diggs’ attorney David Meier said in a statement to Us Weekly on December 30. “They are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, and were never investigated — because they did not occur. The timing and motivation for making the allegations is crystal clear: they are the direct result of an employee-employer financial dispute that was not resolved to the employee’s satisfaction. Stefon looks forward to establishing the truth in a court of law.”
In the meantime, he could land on the NFL’s Commissioner Exempt List, which places a player on paid administrative leave if they are facing legal charges. Players on the Exempt List are not allowed to participate in practices or attend games.
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs addressed the allegations that he strangled and assaulted his live-in private chef over a financial dispute. “It’s been a couple days. I usually get to talk to y’all on Wednesday, but obviously it’s a different time. An emotional time,” Diggs, 32, told reporters on Friday, January 2. “Taken […]
Diggs seems to meet the criteria, laid out in the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy, last updated in 2022. The policy states a player “may be placed” on the Commissioner Exempt List when “a player is formally charged with: (1) a felony offense; or (2) a crime of violence.”
“The formal charges may be in the form of an indictment by a grand jury, the filing of charges by a prosecutor, or an arraignment in a criminal court,” the policy reads.
Stefon Diggs Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images
The policy also lays out what can happen if a player is accused of violence but “further investigation is required.” In that case, “the Commissioner may place a player on the Commissioner Exempt List on a limited and temporary basis to permit the league to conduct a preliminary investigation.”
Yet Diggs played in the Patriots’ regular season finale against the Miami Dolphins and is poised to take the field against the Los Angeles Chargers in New England’s first playoff game on Sunday, January 11.
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel addressed the strangulation and assault charges against his wide receiver Stefon Diggs — but not everybody was thrilled with his response. “I would say not disappointing at all. These are allegations,” Vrabel, 50, told reporters on Wednesday, December 31. In addition to the claims made against Diggs, 32, […]
“The New England Patriots are aware of the accusations that have been made regarding Stefon Diggs,” the Patriots said in a December statement. “Stefon has informed the organization that he categorically denies the allegations. We support Stefon. We will continue to gather information and will cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities and the NFL as necessary. Out of respect for all parties involved, and given that this is an ongoing legal matter, we will have no further comment at this time.”
Us Weekly has reached out to the NFL for comment on Diggs’ status, which is still subject to change.
For now, it should be noted that the language in the Personal Conduct Policy is vague enough to give the league some wiggle room. For example, it says a player “may be placed” on the Exempt List, not “will be placed.”
It is possible that the NFL has decided more evidence needs to be presented of Diggs’ alleged actions before making such a move.
It may also be beneficial for the NFL to hold off as the investigation unfolds. If the league suspended Diggs now, he could take the case to court, presenting an argument that the NFL somehow did not adequately conduct the investigation.
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott and former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady both had suspensions overturned after being granted injunctions by a judge.
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs used a curious food analogy to describe his team’s consistent play just days after being accused of strangling and assaulting his private chef. “We have this little saying, ‘Don’t switch the macaroni and cheese,’” Diggs, 32, told reporters after the Patriots’ 38-10 victory over the Miami Dolphins on […]
In Elliott’s case, a judge decided that he did not receive a fair hearing before an arbitrator before he was suspended six games in 2017 for a series of off-field incidents.
As for Brady, a judge determined the NFL handed out his “deflategate” suspension with “inadequate notice” and that it denied Brady’s team the right to examine the NFL’s legal counsel and certain investigative files.
In both cases, an appeals court eventually reinstated the suspensions and the players had to sit out.
Diggs will be arraigned on January 23, two days before the AFC Championship game. For now, he remains good to go for however long the Patriots remain in the playoffs.