The Houston Texans are 6-2 and had to be feeling pretty good about their chances of a deep playoff run, considering their strength in the passing game.
That strength took a huge hit on Tuesday. Receiver Stefon Diggs, the team’s big offseason acquisition in a trade with the Buffalo Bills, is done for the season with a torn ACL suffered last week, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Media.
The Texans traded for Diggs, a four-time Pro Bowler, in one of the biggest moves of the offseason. Diggs has been productive this season with 47 catches for 496 yards and three touchdowns. The team made a move for Diggs to add to their passing game that took off last season during QB C.J. Stroud’s impressive rookie year. The trio of Diggs, Nico Collins and Tank Dell was one of the best in the NFL. Collins has been out with a hamstring injury but will return this season. The same can’t be said for Diggs.
It’s an especially rough blow for Diggs considering he and the Texans restructured the veteran receiver’s contract so he could become a free agent after this season. Now he’ll be 31 years old coming off a major injury, which could affect his market.
The Texans are still the best team in the AFC South and should win the division. But their hopes of making a deep playoff run, led by Stroud and a trio of fantastic receivers, got a little dimmer with the news that Diggs’ season, and perhaps his brief Texans career, is over.