The New England Patriots are parting ways with wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
The team told the 32-year-old former NFL star he’s being cut loose next week when the season officially begins, according to ESPN.
He appeared to confirm that report with an Instagram post addressed to the Patriots organization.
“Thank you for a hell of a year,” he wrote. “We family forever.”
Diggs’ departure comes less than a month after the Patriots were soundly defeated by the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl. The four-time Pro-Bowler only spent a year in New England after playing with the Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans and Minnesota Vikings.
ESPN said Diggs was a victim of the NFL salary cap. Had the Patriots kept him on the team they would’ve owed him an additional $6 million. The move frees up $16 million in total that can now be used differently.
Diggs is also facing challengers outside of football. He’s charged with strangling his former chef in December. She claims to have also been smacked by her former employer. Diggs denies the accusation.
His relationship with rapper Cardi B — the mother of his 4-month-old son — also appears to have come to an end. According to People, the Grammy-winning musician cut Diggs loose because “Things were getting too heated and complicated.”
Cardi B fans and gossips thought she was taking a dig at Diggs during a recent concert when she claimed during a rant from the stage that “I’m too sexy to be lonely and too grown to be played with.”
On Monday, the Bronx native offered context for that comment on social media.
“Dear blogs, when I perform a song I always introduce the song with a lil razzle dazzle… not everything is a shot or personal. I’m actually repeating lyrics from the songs… Relax,” she wrote.
Diggs will be free to sign with another team once his exit from the Patriots is finalized.
