New England Patriots players continue to be in news headlines for unwanted reasons ahead of the playoffs.
Christian Barmore facing serious allegation
According to Emily Maher of Boston’s WCVB, Patriots star defensive tackle Christian Barmore is facing a domestic assault charge regarding an incident that allegedly occurred on Aug. 8.
The reported victim had been in a relationship with Barmore and said that he “grabbed her phone from her hands while she was trying to leave the house” and eventually “threw her to the floor” following an argument related to “the air conditioning temperature in his bedroom” and to food.
The criminal complaint against Barmore was issued on Dec. 16, and he is scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 3, 2026. Super Bowl LX will take place at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8.
“The New England Patriots are aware of reports regarding a pending February arraignment involving Christian Barmore, which stems from an alleged domestic incident that occurred in August,” the club said in a statement shared by Lauren Campbell of MassLive. “The Patriots were made aware at the time of the incident and informed the NFL in a timely manner. The matter remains part of an ongoing legal process. We will respect that process, continue to monitor the situation closely, as we have over the past few months, and cooperate fully with the league. We will have no further comment at this time.”
Stefon Diggs also facing serious charges
The news about Barmore went public roughly 24 hours after it was learned that Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs is facing charges of felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery stemming from an incident that allegedly occurred on Dec. 2.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss and others later revealed that a private chef said she was attacked by Diggs “after they had discussed money owed to her.” The police report related to that matter says the reported victim told police that “she attempted to push Diggs away when he allegedly tried to choke her with his elbow around her neck and later threw her onto the bed and said ‘lies’ when she said she had not been paid.”
David Meier, Diggs’ attorney, said in a statement released on Tuesday that the allegations against the receiver “are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, and were never investigated — because they did not occur.” Per Campbell, Meier is also representing Barmore.
It’s unclear if Diggs or Barmore will land on the commissioner’s exempt list and be made unavailable to play before or during the upcoming playoffs.
The 13-3 Patriots have already clinched the AFC East division title and could earn home-field advantage through the playoffs if they beat the 7-9 Miami Dolphins this coming Sunday and the 13-3 Denver Broncos fail to defeat the 11-5 Los Angeles Chargers that same afternoon.