Stefon Diggs is on his way to the Super Bowl for the first time in his 11-year NFL career after the Patriots’ 10-7 win over the Broncos in Sunday’s snow-filled AFC title game.
He memorably stayed on the field to watch the Chiefs celebrate a trip to the Super Bowl five years ago during his time with the Bills. Now, he’s headed to the Super Bowl himself in his first year with the Patriots after coming off a season-ending torn ACL last year in his only campaign with the Texans.
Following New England’s victory Sunday, he was understandably emotional as he grappled with the fact that he will finally get to play on football’s greatest stage. “This team took a chance on me. I just wanted to make them proud,” he said on the field through tears.
“They were calling me washed. Saying I didn’t have it anymore. I just wanted to prove to myself I am who I say I am.”
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) January 26, 2026
“This team took a chance on me. I just wanted to make them proud.”
1-on-1 with emotional #Patriots WR Stefon Diggs headed to 1st Super Bowl: pic.twitter.com/B2dD8Wq47h
In his postgame press conference, he explained more on what makes the moment so special. Sunday was the third conference championship that Diggs played in, once with the Vikings and the other with the Bills prior to this season in New England. Now, the four-time Pro Bowler gets over the hump with his fourth NFL team.
“I’ve been in the league 11 years man, I fell short so many times,” he said to reporters. “I can’t say nothing but perfect timing as of right now. I was coming off an ACL injury, new team, new situation, new coaches, new teammates. It all happened exactly how it was supposed to so I’m just appreciative.”
"I fell short so many times."
— ESPN (@espn) January 26, 2026
Stefon Diggs on what it means to finally win his first-career conference championship game ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Wh6YGzz2By
The Patriots’ win over the Broncos wasn’t Diggs’s most productive day with five catches for 17 yards as both sides fought through the increasingly poor weather. Although it wasn’t his best day individually, it seems that Diggs would put the win up with any other in his career, even his memorable walk-off touchdown for the Vikings to take down the Saints in the divisional round in 2018.
He led New England in the regular season with 1,013 receiving yards and 85 receptions. It’s his seventh 1,000-yard season receiving. This time, though, he gets to cap off his year with a trip to the Super Bowl.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘I Fell Short So Many Times’: Stefon Diggs Describes Meaning of First Super Bowl Trip.
