Patriots
The Patriots receiver addressed the media for the first time since the video surfaced on social media.
After practice on Tuesday, Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs spoke to the media for the first time since he was shown on a boat in a viral video with an unidentified substance.
Diggs confirmed that he had a conversation with coach Mike Vrabel about the video.
Last week, Vrabel said the Patriots were handling the matter internally. The team has not publicly announced any disciplinary measures for Diggs.
The three-time Pro Bowler, who is rehabbing from a torn ACL was a limited participant at practice, where the intrigue about the video had yet to die down.
“Obviously, I want to be as candid with you guys as possible’” Diggs said when asked to address the video. “I kind of have a thing where I don’t talk about my personal life with people I don’t know personally. I’m sure everybody here, men and women, are great people, but I try to keep my personal life personal.”
“I have a conversation with [Vrabel] obviously, Diggs continued. I’m going to echo everything he said. He told me I’m hoping everybody is making good decisions, and I had some conversations with people in the building as well, so everything else is everything else. The particulars are all internal.”
Diggs declined to answer what the substance in the video was.
“Obviously it’s a conversation that’s happening internally, Diggs said. “I can’t have too much of a conversation about it. I’ve been in this league 10 years. You can format the question many different ways, I’m obviously going to answer it the same way.”
Diggs also declined to say whether or not he knew he was being recorded on the boat.
“Once again, you can format the question many different ways, Diggs said. “I’ve been doing this for 10 years. The conversation that I had with [Vrabel] and people in the building obviously is going to be handled internally, in house.”
Even a question about what he learned from the situation was sidestepped.
“Obviously, I would hate to be rude but I would have to repeat myself for a fourth time,” Diggs said. “You’re going to make me repeat myself again? Say the same thing again?”
Vrabel said he would have loved to see every player, including Diggs, present for the voluntary OTAs. Diggs missed those voluntary practices but has been present for mandatory minicamp. He was able to participate in drills and walkthroughs, but did not participate in the 11-on-11 scrimmage portion of practice.
“I would say that in his time here that I’ve been able to be around him and our coaches, I think he’s learning,” Vrabel said. “I think he’s rehabbing. He’s one of those players that’s on a different plan, so he’s going back and forth from different tempos to rehab.”
Diggs is rehabbing from a torn ACL, which ended his season last October.
Several teammates, including quarterback Drake Maye and receiver DeMario Douglas have praised Diggs’s work ethic. He posted six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and was on pace for a seventh at the time of his injury.
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