The Patriots have informed receiver Stefon Diggs he will be released next week. (AP photo)

The New England Patriots will now likely be in the hunt for a new veteran leading receiver as they informed four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs he will be released next Wednesday, the first day of the new NFL year.

Diggs was due a $6 million bonus on March 13 and speculation was that a move with him had to be made before then – either release him or restructure his contract. The latter is reportedly the end result.

Diggs will turne 33 in November and the Patriots have said this off-season they want to get younger and less expensive. Still, Diggs was a key to a Super Bowl season, on the field and in the locker room. He caught caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four TDs for New England as their leading receiver, coming off a torn ACL in 2024. However, his production waned in the postseason, 20 catches for 110 yards and one TD but just 7.9 yards per reception but was not factor at all in Super Bowl LX.

Diggs move is mainly salary cap related, as he would cost the Patriots a hit of $26.5 million on the cap, up from $10.6 million this year. But adding to that, Diggs had two off-field strikes against him. Most recently, he was facing charges of assault and attempted strangulation stemming from a dispute with his then female chef. And late last May he was in a video that went viral showing him with a bag of an unidentified pink substance at a yacht party in Florida.

But that seemed like a distant memory during the season as he became a leader in the locker room. News of the assault charges surfaced in late December.

The Patriots, according to reports, are making the move now due in part to that six million but also to give Diggs a chance to hook on right away with another team with free agency beginning on Monday with the legal tampering period.

That may enhance the Patriots interest in trading for A.J. Brown, although there are major cap impacts with that as well as the fact he has reported knee issues. They could go the free agent route and go after Colts free agent Alec Pierce, but that again is a major expense as he is one of the leading receivers on the open market.

“There are certain conversations we’re having, and we’ll see what happens with everyone,” Pats VP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf said when asked about Diggs at the combine.

The next sign was Diggs unfollowing the team on social media on Wednesday morning. He posted on his Instagram late yesterday “Thank ou for a hell of a year. We family forever.”

But not a Patriot receiver forever, unfortunately.