Broncos have chance to circle back for player they nearly signed last offseason

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The Denver Broncos are in the thick of building their strategy for the free-agent signing period ahead of the 2026 season, which officially opens in one week. The team can now add a familiar name to its list.

On Wednesday, the New England Patriots made the decision to release veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs, a move that will become official with the start of the new league year. What this means for the future of the Patriots remains to be seen, but the immediate question becomes, where does Diggs go next?

One of the places he could turn up is in Denver. If you remember back to free agency a year ago, the Broncos were looking for a playmaker at the wide receiver position, similar to the spot they are still in heading into this year's signing period.

But the Broncos were specifically interested in Diggs, and according to an earlier report from Ian Rapoport, he nearly signed with the Broncos instead of the Patriots.

Will Broncos consider signing Stefon Diggs in 2026?

This begs the question, would Sean Payton, George Paton and company still be interested in signing Diggs? He is coming off a solid season in New England in which he caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns. However, he recently turned 32 years old and the Pats may have had questions about how well he can produce going forward.

Stefon Diggs on the move again. At 32 he’ll be looking for a 5th team. There’s a reason he never stays in one place too long

— trey wingo (@wingoz) March 4, 2026

That said, Moe Moton of Bleacher Report sees Denver as one of the best possible fits for Diggs, who would be playing for a fifth different team in as many seasons.

"It shouldn't be a surprise if Denver pursues Diggs again. The Broncos have $25.2 million in cap space, and they're trying to build a Super Bowl roster around quarterback Bo Nix.

Alongside Courtland Sutton, Diggs can elevate the Broncos' passing offense, which would be key to keeping the offense moving if Denver's 16th-ranked rushing attack from the previous season doesn't improve.

Diggs' presence certainly helped Drake Maye's second-year growth; he can do the same for Nix, who's entering his third season", wrote Moton.

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There are some strong points in there, but the Broncos would need to weigh Diggs' advanced age, along with his off-the-field issues, into any contract discussions they may be thinking about having.