This weekend, the New England Patriots have an opportunity to lock down the number one seed in the AFC playoffs, albeit they will need some help to get there.
The last thing the team needs right now is a major outside distraction, but that is exactly what just happened.
The team’s star wideout, Stefon Diggs, is now facing assault charges, which he vehemently denies.
According to reports, the alleged victim was employed by Diggs as a personal chef, and the two of them got into a heated argument over money on Dec. 2.
The alleged victim did not report the alleged assault to police until Dec. 16, stating that initially, she was not going to file charges. However, a week later, she contacted the police to move forward with the case.
Diggs has since been charged with one count of strangulation and one count of misdemeanor assault.
Diggs’ lawyer, David Meier, addressed the allegations via an email statement made on behalf of the star wideout.
In addition to saying that his client denied the allegations made, Meier stated, “They are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, and were never investigated — because they did not occur.”
He continued, “The timing and motivation for making the allegations is crystal clear: they are the direct result of an employee-employer financial dispute that was not resolved to the employee’s satisfaction. Stefon looks forward to establishing the truth in a court of law."
The team, thus far, has stated that it supports Diggs and will continue to do so.
The timing of this could not be worse for the Patriots, as they are headed into the final weekend of the season, still alive for the overall number one seed, although they would need some help.
In order for the Patriots to secure the top seed, they will need the Denver Broncos to lose against the Los Angeles Chargers. And since the Chargers cannot improve their own playoff outlook, the team is expected to bench most of its skill players, likely to hand the Broncos an easy win.
The aforementioned legal troubles are something that will likely impact the Patriots well into the playoffs, however, and with the upcoming game being all about focus, it is all a distraction that the team does not need.
As a side note, Stefon’s brother, Trevon Diggs, was just released by the Cowboys, with both sides offering their spin on why the former second-round pick and former All-Pro player was let go before the season ended. Needless to say, it was not a good weekend for the Diggs family.
