Just when it seemed the New England Patriots were riding the perfect, storybook wave of momentum toward their return to the NFL playoffs, stuff hits the fan.
Look at Stefon Diggs. Accused of smacking his former chef and trying to choke her during an alleged Dec. 2 incident as a beef over apparent back pay escalated. Really? The go-to receiver is facing a felony charge for strangulation or suffocation.
Consider Christian Barmore. Accused of throwing the mother of his 2-year-old child to the floor and issuing threats during an alleged Aug. 8 argument that stemmed from disagreements about the room temperature and that she was making food. Seriously? The 315-pound defensive tackle is facing a misdemeanor charge of domestic assault and battery.
Two key players, two rounds of allegations that they committed heinous crimes surfaced on back-to-back days this week. Bad timing. Bad optics. The NFL had enough regular season-finale plotlines to set up Week 18, but as 2025 transitioned to 2026, the Patriots have another version of in-with-the-new drama.
At this point, as Patriots coach Mike Vrabel insisted, they are allegations. Attorneys representing both players have flatly denied the accusations.
