Stefon Diggs Cleared of Assault, Strangulation Charges

Stefon Diggs found not guilty of assault, strangulation charges in alleged incident with private chef

The veteran wide receiver should garner free-agency interest now that his legal case has been resolved

By Carter Bahns

May 5, 2026 at 5:57 pm ET • 2 min read

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Following a two-day trial, jurors at Dedham District Court in Massachusetts on Tuesday found former New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs not guilty on charges of felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault and battery. Diggs faced those charges in connection with an  alleged December 2025 incident with his private chef.

Jamila Adams filed charges about three weeks after the purported Dec. 2 incident and told police that Diggs entered her bedroom and smacked her following a discussion about money he owed her. She also claimed that Diggs attempted to choke her when she tried to push him away. Diggs' assistant was also alleged to have asked Adams to sign a nondisclosure agreement before her payment.

Diggs denied the allegations and in February pleaded not guilty to both charges. His attorneys said the assault never happened and questioned whether the dispute was about money or relationship tensions, potentially stemming from a disagreement over a planned trip to Miami.

The defense called multiple witnesses to the stand during the trial who testified that they did not notice anything unusual between Diggs and Adams on and around the day of the alleged incident. Diggs' attorneys said there was no physical evidence of an assault, and the prosecution admitted Adams -- described as a "sometimes lover" of Diggs -- was not "a perfect witness."

The verdict paves the way for Diggs, an NFL free agent, to sign with a new team ahead of the 2026 season.

"Any team that signs him will be lucky to have him," one of Diggs' attorneys said following the trial . "We are very pleased and happy that Stefon will continue on and play football in the National Football League."

One team for which Diggs will not play is the Patriots. New England released the veteran pass-catcher earlier this offseason in a move that cleared more than $16 million in cap space and axed the final two years of a three-year contract. Diggs hauled in 85 catches for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns in his lone year with the Patriots and was integral to the team's run to the 2026 Super Bowl .

Diggs should draw interest in free agency with his legal matter now in the rearview mirror. Outside of a 2024 season in which he played just eight games with the Houston Texans , he has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark seven times since 2018 and proved at age 32 that he still has plenty of ability left in the tank.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/stefon-diggs-not-guilty-assault-trial-nfl-free-agency/)._