Stefon Diggs was completely alone on the field five years ago, from afar.
Naturally, when Diggs finally managed to earn his first-ever trip to a Super Bowl on Sunday afternoon with the New England Patriots, he was incredibly emotional.
“It was worth it, man. All that hard work. We got one more,” Diggs said, fighting back tears. “I just want to rejoice and enjoy this moment, and just be grateful to God. It’s tough, man.”
Diggs and the Patriots beat the Denver Broncos 10-7 in a snowy battle Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High to secure a trip to Super Bowl LX. This is the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance since the Tom Brady era. Diggs had five catches for 17 yards in the win.
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Diggs is finishing his 11th season in the league. He signed a three-year, $63.5 million contract with the Patriots last offseason despite his last stop — a one-season stint with the Houston Texans — ending prematurely. Diggs tore his ACL in Week 8 of last season.
Diggs has already proven himself to be one of the best wide receivers in NFL history. He has seven seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards and he set several team and NFL records during his time with the Bills. He is just one of four players in league history to have four consecutive seasons with at least 100 receptions, for example. He has totaled 1,013 yards and four touchdowns this season.
“They were calling me washed up, saying I didn’t have it anymore. I just wanted to prove it to myself, I’m who I say I am… This team took a chance on me. I just wanted to make them proud,” Diggs said.
But constantly, the Super Bowl eluded him. Sunday was Diggs’ 17th career playoff game and his third appearance in a conference title game. During the 2020 season, his last appearance in a conference championship game, Diggs stood on the field at Arrowhead Stadium to simply watch the festivities after his team was eliminated.
Now, finally, with Drake Maye leading the offense, Diggs will finally have the opportunity to claim a ring. He succeeded.
