Patriots say criminal cases facing Diggs, Barmore won’t distract them ahead of regular-season finale

Story byBoston25NewsStaff,The Associated PressThu, January 1, 2026 at 2:49 PM UTC·4 min readFOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP/Boston 25) — New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said he’s confident criminal cases against receiver Stefon Diggs and defensive lineman Christian Barmore won’t be a distraction for his team this week as it chases the AFC’s top seed in the playoffs. Diggs is facing strangulation and other criminal charges in connection with a dispute with his former private chef. Barmore is facing a misdemeanor domestic assault and battery charge after his girlfriend told police he threw her to the ground in August at his home outside Boston. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Patriots are currently 13-3 and have already wrapped up their first AFC East title since 2019.