PRESS BOX: The NFL can’t count Stefon Diggs and Cardi B out

Ethan York, Staff Writer

The NFL has made a very obvious push to capitalize on celebrity romances in the league. However, only catering to one in particular, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, paints an incomplete picture.

The NFL has completely dropped the ball on another star studded couple in the league: New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs and his biggest cheerleader, Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B.

Despite Cardi B’s superstardom and Diggs being a well-known veteran and an all pro player in the league, they have received very different treatment from the NFL and its fans, especially compared to the “golden” couple of Swift and Kelce.

Diggs is a well-known diva in the NFL, infamous for his partying and relations with women. It is dragged through the mud and slandered for his actions, while Kelce — who is guilty of the same things — gets off scot-free.

Many fans criticized the Patriots during the offseason for signing Diggs, calling him old, problematic and bringing up his previous season injury. Diggs has since helped transform the Patriots into a top AFC team and has shown he is still a threat, recording 146 yards against reigning AFC East champs, the Buffalo Bills.

As an African American man in the spotlight, Diggs has to fight twice as hard to defend his reputation. He has repeatedly told the media he likes to keep his private life private, and though his teammates speak highly of him, he is still labeled a “locker room cancer.”

He helped develop the Patriots’ young quarterback, and under his skills and leadership, he leads the Patriots in receiving yards with over 500 receiving yards, has two touchdown passes for the season and most recently passed 900 career receptions, according to ESPN.

Kelce, on the other hand, has thrown many public tantrums on the field, even going so far as to shove his head coach when frustrated. Kelce apologized on his own podcast and was quickly forgiven, while Diggs has to work overtime to prove himself.

Kelce and several other Chiefs players were also wearing “Free 4” T-shirts before a game that caused a dangerous crash and injured four people , in reference to wide receiver Rashee Rice’s speeding incident. Kelce defending a criminal is overlooked, whereas Diggs would be subjected to all types of scrutiny if he did the same.

Since their relationship became public, Cardi B and Diggs have faced all types of rumors and hate, going as far as saying the couple had broken up because of the rapper’s “BBL stench,” which is an appalling thing to say about anyone. 

Kelce and Swift were praised as the ideal couple when they started their relationship, meanwhile Cardi and Diggs are swept under the rug and faced with horrible disrespect.

Cardi and Diggs are just as marketable as Swift and Kelce, who have just as many controversies, such as Kelce’s history of outbursts, and Swift frequent microaggressions against her music. In her song “Opalite”, she describes her relationship with Kelce as an “opalite sky” and refers to his past relationship with an African American woman, allegedly sports journalist Kayla Nicole, as an “onyx night.”

Cardi B is an internationally known Grammy-winning artist and has broken multiple records as a female rapper. She has been a vocal supporter of young people, the LGBTQ+ community and donated $1 million to COVID-19 relief in 2020, according to Forbes.

Diggs helped revive the patriot team’s legacy and has multiple other accomplishments outside of the field. A fashion icon, Diggs recently signed an endorsement deal with UGGS and founded his own fashion line, LIEM. Diggs also has many charitable acts under his belt — like going back to his hometown to host a free football camp for the youth during the offseason, according to MSN.

Unfortunately, Diggs and Cardi will always be held to a higher standard despite rising from the bottom to the top of their respective fields. The NFL needs to learn that there are two sides of America at play here.

If the NFL wants to continue its success, it should look past Swift and Kelce and embrace the other power couple sitting right in front of them.