C.J. Stroud was still asleep back home in Los Angeles when his phone started to ring. Multiple friends began to text him about how he felt.
While in in daze, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year responded with a few ‘I’m good fam, how bout you’ texts before rolling back over to catch a few more minutes of slumber,
Eventually, Stroud woke up, went to the bathroom, and brushed his teeth. There, he found out why everyone was asking how he was doing. They weren’t checking in, but rather wondering about his feelings toward the Houston Texans’ trade for Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs.
“I was very excited,” a delighted Stroud said Monday at the start of voluntary workouts.
Traded to Houston in exchange for a 2025 second-round pick, Diggs headlines as the new top target for the reigning AFC South champions. He won’t be alone in the passing attack for Stroud entering Year 2, but he is the most proven among those expected to compete for starting reps.
"#Texans QB CJ Stroud was probably the last person to find out that they traded for Stefon Diggs.
"I was asleep."
His friends were texting him to ask how he was doing, and he thought they were just checking in on him, so he just went back to sleep. 😂 pic.twitter.com/3XAuBhVJrx
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 15, 2024
Since 2015, Diggs has been one of the league’s top targets. He’s posted six consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns, dating back to his time with the Minnesota Vikings. In four years with the Buffalo Bills, the Pro Bowler hauled in at least 103 passes, including a league-leading 127 catches in 2020.
“He’s been a great player in this league for a long time, well respected,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “He’s been a great teammate, he’s been a leader, a captain. And, when you look at him and watch the tape … no one doubts the playmaker that he is.”
With Diggs and new running back Joe Mixon in the fold, Houston looks poised to make a deep run for the postseason. Behind Stroud’s record-setting rookie campaign, the Texans won the AFC South for the first time in four years before pulling off the upset against the Cleveland Browns in the wild-card round.
Diggs, 30, won’t be the only top target at NRG Stadium like at times in Orchard Park for All-Pro quarterback Josh Allen. Nico Collins broke onto the scene with over 1,200 receiving yards last season. Rookie Tank Dell and veteran Dalton Schultz also posted stellar seasons amid a top-10 finish in the passing game.
“I think we have a lot of potential,” said Stroud. “A ton of guys who have played a lot of meaningful ball. A lot of guys who can do different things with the ball, which is amazing.”
While Diggs finished with over 1,100 receiving yards last season, his production dipped in the second half. After posting five 100-yard games in the first six weeks, he never posted another triple-digit outing following the firing of offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey.
In two combined playoff games, he finished with 10 catches for 73 yards.
Those around the organization, including Ryans, believe Diggs is only getting started. He should be hungry entering a contract year after the Texans elected to void the final three years of a $102 million extension signed with the Bills in April 2022.
“The guy has been an All-Pro player, he’s been a Pro Bowl player, over 1,000 yards for multiple seasons,” said Ryans. “So, we’re excited about adding Diggs to our team.”
DeMeco Ryans on the addition of Stefon Diggs. #Texans pic.twitter.com/LMb7uKLqx7
— Cody Stoots (@Cody_Stoots) April 15, 2024
Stroud, who became the fifth rookie passer to throw for over 4,000 yards in their first season, said he and Diggs first connected at the Pro Bowl back in February. He didn’t know at the time they’d later be partnering up for a Super Bowl run two months later.
While Diggs hasn’t met with the media yet, he’s already built a rapport with Stroud and several other Texans’ teammates. The former No. 2 pick hosted Diggs, Dell, and third-year receiver John Metchie out in California to run drills before the start of workouts.
“He has a lot of wisdom that he carries that I think he’ll spread to other guys,” Stroud said of Diggs. “He’s been reaching out to really everybody, and I think that whole room in general is going to be great. I think we’re all going to eat off each other.”
Entering next week’s draft, the Texans have the seventh-best odds to win this year’s Super Bowl, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
