Stefon Diggs’ arrival will take snaps away from Commanders promising rookie, but it’s a good thing that will help his development
Dan Quinn spoke with reporters ahead of Friday’s practice and discussed the plans for Stefon Diggs in 2026. It’s bound to unlock a new world for Jayden Daniels and the passing attack.
Dan Quinn and the Washington Commanders have a brand new playmaker in Stefon Diggs and he’s a player Jayden Daniels and the passing attack needed heading into 2026.
So now, the question immediately becomes one of how the Commanders plan on using Diggs. Mainly because he can play both inside and outside at an effective level. Either way, Quinn described the plan for Stefon Diggs when he spoke with the media ahead of Friday’s practice.
“I think when you see him work inside as a slot player, he’s got great feel,” said Quinn. “He’s a great competitor, but those are a few of the things that jump out to us. He’s somebody certainly that can move the chains. How important it is to have somebody that has the the detail of option routes and you know specifics, but specifically inside, man, is he an effective player in that way.”
Using Diggs in the slot makes all the sense in the world, especially when considering how effective he was last year. Per Pro Football Focus, Diggs finished the regular season with 40 receptions and 488 yards on 47 targets out of the slot. The receptions were good for 12th best, the yards for sixth best, and his 2.00 yards per route run was good for ninth among 31 qualifying wideouts with at least 31 targets from the slot.
And if you’re into grades, he ended up with an 88.9, which tied for sixth-best.
Stefon Diggs is the perfect complement to Terry McLaurin, who remains one of the best deep ball/contested catch receivers in the league. Diggs will have all kinds of room to operate underneath while McLaurin, and even guys like Chigoziem Okonkwo and Dyami Brown, stretch the field.
However, it does the raise the question of just how many snaps Diggs will take away from promising rookie Antonio Williams. But honestly, when zooming out and looking at things from afar, this is a very good situation for Williams.
Stefon Diggs can help slow the learning curve for Antonio Williams
To be fair, as promising as Williams is, it’s not a great idea for the Commanders to throw a ton of responsibility on him in Year 1.
Diggs’ arrival will help slow things down for Williams and really allow him to get comfortable during his rookie year. No one is saying Williams will ride the bench, by any means, either. He’ll definitely get his snaps in this year.
And Quinn made sure that was clear.
“We’ll work through that over the next month,” Quinn said when asked how Williams and other inside receivers now fit into the offense. “He (Diggs) won’t exclusively play just the slot, but that does bring up the question of how we’d feature guys. (Whether it’s) two receivers, three receivers, who’d play in what down and distances. So, we’ll work through that.
“That’s why it is nice to have them here today and begin that process together. But it’s also kind of like ramping up our competition in a group that I like, who they stand for. … You know, to see where it plays out, so to speak.”
To Quinn’s point, Diggs is also an effective outside receiver in the right situations. And, as we know, Williams can play outside, as well.
There’s also Diggs’ leadership aspect. He has no issue helping show youngsters the ropes and now, Williams has two very accomplished veterans to lean on.
So, while Stefon Diggs will eat into Williams’ playing time, it’s a good situation. Especially when considering Diggs is in town on a one-year deal. Honestly, the future is even brighter for Williams with Diggs in the picture.
