Stefon Diggs has wasted no time ingratiating himself with the Washington Commanders.
The team’s newest receiver has spent the first week back in the D.C. region delivering special handshakes with teammates and coaching them up between practice reps.
The 32-year-old has been a seamless addition to the locker room, according to teammates and coaches.
“He’s a good communicator. He brings good energy to the group,” coach Dan Quinn said Tuesday. “He’s approachable, somebody you want to spend time with and gravitate towards.”
Diggs rapidly became one of the most eye-catching players at practice since signing with the Commanders on Thursday.
When a fellow receiver makes a big play down the field, Diggs is one of the first to greet him with an emphatic handshake. When one of the younger pass-catchers makes a simple mistake or needs help running a route, Diggs is there for an abbreviated coaching lesson.
“There’s some concepts that he knows inside and out,” Quinn said. “He has insights to share with them.”
Washington’s receivers are more than happy to accept the input.
“He wants everybody to be great,” fellow pass-catcher Van Jefferson said of Diggs. “Adding him to the room, it’s been a value for all of us. With his expertise and how he has played the games and the stats that he has and how he produces since being in the league, it’s all going to help us.”
Washington is the fourth team in as many years for Diggs, a Maryland product who grew up in the area. The Buffalo Bills shipped him to the Houston Texans after his fourth straight Pro Bowl campaign in early 2024, but Diggs’ tenure there was short-lived.
He spent just one season with the Texans after an ACL tear limited him to four games. Then the two-time All-Pro revived his career with the New England Patriots last season, recording 85 catches for 1,013 yards en route to his first Super Bowl appearance.
But the Patriots, like the Texans and Bills, were comfortable entering the following season without Diggs on the roster.
So he found a new home with Washington.
“He’s been a joy to be around. He came in, and it’s kind of like he’s been here for years,” receiver Jacoby Jones said. “His presence is just felt not only on the football field, but also in the locker room. I can’t say enough things about him. In his short time here, he’s been a light.”
It’s a tough balance joining a fresh squad and providing helpful insight while still learning teammates’ names. Washington’s receivers had already spent two full weeks together in camp — plus an offseason full of team workouts and unofficial sessions with quarterback Jayden Daniels — before Diggs signed.
First-year offensive coordinator David Blough said he appreciates that his pass-catchers have diverse skills on the field, similar to the different body types on a basketball squad.
Diggs’ route-running acumen makes him a perfect complement to star receiver Terry McLaurin on the field.
Plus, Diggs’ friendly demeanor in the building has accelerated the team-building process.
“In the room, we have a great lot of personalities that intertwine together, that are good. Each man in that room is a great guy, a team player. We all want to see each other succeed,” Jefferson said. “Diggs just came and fit right in.”
It wasn’t exactly what the newly signed receiver anticipated. He immediately noted that he had plenty of conversations with his fellow receivers upon his arrival, “more than I thought we would have.”
“Guys coming up to me and just throwing a little gem here and there,” Diggs said last week after his first practice. “I’m older. I’ve been around the game for a little while now. I’m just trying to give them everything that I got and, at the same time, show more than tell. I can say a bunch of hoopla, but I’d rather just go out there and hoop.”
The learning exchange has been a two-way street for the new receiver. Diggs might provide tips to a journeyman like Dyami Brown or the second-year Jaylin Lane, and they’ve returned the favor.
As a late arrival, Diggs has had his hands full mastering Blough’s new playbook.
“He’s spending extra time with [wide receivers coach Bobby Engram] in the meeting room. And some of the other guys are sitting in that same meeting just to help,” Quinn said, noting that he’s also spotted Diggs having breakfast with his new teammates. “That’s a cool thing, to see that Dyami and Jaylin, while Bobby is going through calls, they’re echoing. ‘That is like this, this’ll be like that.’”
Diggs — along with several Commanders veterans including McLaurin, guard Sam Cosmi, defensive tackles Javon Kinlaw and Daron Payne, safety Jeremy Reaves and running back Jeremy McNichols — missed Tuesday’s padless practice for a maintenance day. The Commanders want to be well-rested for Wednesday’s joint practice with the Miami Dolphins, a final tune-up before the preseason opener against them on Friday night at Northwest Stadium.
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