HOUSTON – Stefon Diggs’ fly pattern out of Buffalo didn’t come without a certain amount of drama and intrigue as there have been several anonymous and negative takes on his personality and what ultimately went on behind the scenes leading up to his high-profile divorce from the Bills and his offseason trade to the Texans.
As the veteran Pro Bowl wide receiver prepares to face the Bills on Sunday at NRG Stadium in his first game against his old team since being acquired this offseason by the defending AFC South champions in exchange for a second-round draft pick, he did nothing to add any gasoline to the fire and emphasized there’s no hard feelings toward his former NFL employer.
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Diggs, 30, has been an extremely strong fit inside the Texans’ locker room and on the field, providing knowledge and helpful tips to younger players while displaying textbook routes and hands. He was voted a team captain in balloting from his teammates.
The major takeaway around the league about Diggs’ exit from Buffalo? That time had run its course on that relationship and it was time for a fresh start for the AFC East franchise and Diggs, a four-time Pro Bowl selection who caught a season-high 10 passes for 94 yards in his first game against the Minnesota Vikings, the team that drafted him out of Maryland a decade ago and traded him to the Bills. Now, he’s wearing the No. 1 jersey for the Texans and a smile on his face as he catches passes from Pro Bowl quarterback C.J. Stroud.
“I have a lot of fun,” Diggs said Thursday at his locker. “Obviously when you go to a new team, this is my third time or second time going to a new team, you never know what to expect and what kind of guys you’ll be around. Obviously, I do have a little bit of a rapport with C.J. prior to (trade). It’s easy to get a bad rap.
“You know word travels fast, but when you get to a place and people get to know you, they kind of get to gauge you for their own personal and their interaction with you. I think, just to turn a corner when I get somewhere else, it usually be smiles and a whole lot of positive stuff. So, I just take it with a grain of salt. I’ve got big shoulders. I can take it.”
#Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs @diggs 'It's easy to get a bad rap. I've got big shoulders. I can take it' @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/aKqsZ2YQhc
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) October 2, 2024
Diggs has caught 25 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns, sharing touches with Nico Collins, the NFL’s receiving yardage leader and the established go-to guy for Stroud.
And Diggs has made fast friends with Stroud, building a good relationship. From the Pro Bowl to offseason throwing sessions in Miami, Los Angeles and Houston, they’ve built a strong bond.
“It’s been great,” Stroud said. “I think he got a bad rap, you know, just by the media and by the people,” Stroud said. “He’s been nothing but amazing to this team and to his teammates. He’s helped me out a ton.
“As you can see, we’re clicking more and more every game. I’m very happy for him and I’m glad that he’s finally having fun playing the game, doing what he loves to do because he loves football a lot. I’m just really, really happy to be a part of his journey in life and just being around him.”
Diggs’ fit within the Texans’ leadership structure and playing style has clicked. It has been an authentic relationship so far.
“I think he just be himself every day, he brings the same energy every day,” right tackle Tytus Howard said. “Whether it’s on or off the field, you know what you’re going to get from him every day. He’s a good teammate. He’s a good friend outside of football. Just being a consistent guy in the building every day. He’s a good energy guy every day. He’s a great teammate.”
C.J. Stroud on #Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs addition and how well he's fit in on and off the field @stefondiggs @KPRC2 https://t.co/LhiSZcmlwl pic.twitter.com/nbMelw4YS3
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) October 2, 2024
Diggs wasn’t initially sure how he was going to feel facing the Vikings. Like the Bills, he emphasized he had no hard feelings.
Instead, the Texans’ Pro Bowl wide receiver delivered a message of reflection and gratitude toward the team that drafted him out of the University of Maryland in the fifth round.
Will Sunday be emotional for Diggs?
“No, not at all,” Diggs said. “Probably just because it had been a long time since I’ve been in Minnesota. I haven’t been in that stadium in a long time, and I just kind of try to get away from it. I try to get away from it. They’re a good team. They’ve got a lot of guys that are smart. They’re a really good team. For me, obviously, going into any situation you want to earn the respect of your teammates and earn the respect of your coaches. It’s important to me. Everything is important to me. I pride myself on trying to make things better. I think it’s important.”
Diggs is on pace for 106 catches, 990 yards and nine touchdowns. He ran for his first career touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars last Sunday in a 24-20 comeback win.
“For Stef, what I like about what he has brought to the team is that he just brings that relentless energy, passion for the game,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “He loves football and I have said that multiple times. You see it, the way he practices, the way he plays the game. He loves ball, he plays with effort and that is all you want. Guys who are going to play the game the right way and encourage your teammates and be a great teammate yourself. That is what Stef does.”
How does an athlete compartmentalize playing against his former team for the first time? It’s something Ryans has done before. He acknowledged the emotions of the moment, and the need to focus. on the task at hand.
“For a player it is always in the back of your mind where it is a big deal when you play your former team,” Ryans said. “It is a little added weight where you really want to beat your team. It doesn’t change our preparation and how we go about our business on a week-to-week basis. It is a matter of guys going out and we have to play together, we have to play as a team, we have to play clean football versus Buffalo for us to have a chance to win this game.
“You have to make sure you stay focused and locked in. A lot of times, some guys if you make it bigger than what it is, then you get out of your element of playing fundamentally sound and being where you are supposed to be. At the end of the day, it is still a game. You really want to beat them, but you can’t do more than you are asked to do. You just have to let the game come to you and make the plays that you are supposed to make.”
Diggs has warmly reflected on his happiness to be in Houston, dismissing narratives about him from previous NFL stops and emphasizing a family connection with Stroud, his quarterback and friend.
Days before his first regular-season game with the Texans on the road, it was obvious that Diggs and the Texans are in a strong, comfortable space together. That isn’t a surprise, though, given how welcoming his reception has been since joining the Texans. And, now, they’re off to a fast start together.
Being a captain is something that Diggs set his ambitions on as soon as he was acquired by the defending AFC South champions. And he earned the status by sharing knowledge with his younger teammates.
“Everything,” Diggs said when asked what being named a team captain meant to him. “At this point in my career. Obviously, the past couple of years, I’ve been a captain. Going to a new team, new scenery, new people and earning the respect of my teammates, my coaches, when I say everything it means everything. I play this sport with a chip on my shoulder every day. I’m trying to play with a lot of patience and work ethic.
“So, to see them acknowledge that and they respect and appreciate you. I just want to do everything I can to be the best captain I can be. It was just something I feel like I had to work for. I had to earn something I wanted for myself. I feel like being a captain and that level of accountability not only just holds those around you accountable; it holds yourself accountable. You are who you are. You can’t run from that. I got here from being myself.”
Diggs has put in the time to get to know his teammates. He’s been generous with his time. And he’s earned the respect of his coaches.
“I really like his personality,” offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said. “I’ve said it before, he’s one of us.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
