What happened to Stefon Diggs? Examining why the Texans WR is sidelined

The Houston Texans wanted to build on CJ Stroud’s incredible rookie season by surrounding him with a receiving corps worthy of their quarterback’s talent. Nico Collins and Tank Dell provided a strong foundation, but trading for veteran receiver Stefon Diggs should put Houston in position to compete with the league’s best offenses.

However, the unit was underwhelmed with each of these receivers missing time. The biggest loss, however, was Diggs suffering a season-ending injury in Week 8.

What is Stefon Diggs’ injury?

A hamstring injury to Nico Collins in Week 5 landed him on injured reserve. In his absence, Stefon Diggs, for whom the Texans gave up a second-round pick (they also received a sixth-round pick and a fifth-round pick in 2025), took over as WR1.

This situation would not last long. The Week 8 victory over the Indianapolis Colts was marred by the news that Diggs’ season would be over.

While cutting a route, Diggs immediately went to the ground holding his knee. Non-contact injuries are often the most feared, and these fears were soon confirmed. Diggs underwent further testing which confirmed he had suffered a season-ending ACL tear.

Before he was injured, Diggs averaged 5.9 receptions and 62 yards per game. He recorded three receiving touchdowns and one rushing score and totaled 47 catches for 496 yards.

The numbers say he rushed for just over 1,000 yards this season. While impressive, it was a step down from his time with the Buffalo Bills, where he rushed for nearly 1,200 yards in his worst season. That was to be expected given his new role behind Collins, and he showed he hadn’t slowed down as much as his lackluster finish to 2023 suggested.

When will Diggs return from his injury?

For Texans fans looking for some optimism, Collins’ return this season is all they can expect. Typically, ACL tears keep players out of action for almost a year. While it remains to be seen what Diggs’ exact schedule looks like, the 2024 season is certainly not in the cards.

The 9 to 12 month recovery period for ACLs is a tricky number. While some guys at the front end of that timeline come back and mostly look no worse right away, others take a full year to come back and don’t look anywhere near their pre-injury until the following season.

Age is another factor to consider. At 31, Diggs is one of the oldest wide receivers still performing at a high level. After a serious injury, it is ambitious to expect top performance from him.

Given that this injury occurred midway through the season and Diggs’ age, consider him a coin flip to be ready for Week 1 of the 2025 season. So far there is no concrete status update on his progress, but we are still a long way from the possibility that he will be back on the field. Offseason training in the spring will be the next benchmark to check Diggs’ progress.

How has Diggs’ absence affected the Texans?

Diggs’ absence hurt the dynamic offense the Texans had planned with Stroud under center. While Dell and Collins are deadly with explosive plays, shorter routes are not their specialty. This is where Diggs thrived, delivering crucial third-down catches to move the chains.

With all three wide receivers out for some time, Houston’s offense was a shell of its former self last season. Stroud in particular has taken a big step back, especially with a lackluster offensive line. According to PFN’s QB+ metric, he ranks 26th, behind names like Joe Flacco, Mason Rudolph, Drake Maye, Aaron Rodgers, and even the recently benched Kirk Cousins. Last season he finished eighth.

Even from a counting stats perspective, Stroud’s 232 passing yards per game is a far cry from last season’s (league-leading) 273.9. The eye test also confirms this data point, with much of the Texans’ offense coming through the floor and Joe Mixon.

The former Cincinnati Bengals running back is averaging the most yards per game (82.7) since 2018 (83.4). With 11 rushing scores and a receiving score to boot, Mixon was invaluable to Houston for 15 weeks.

Things haven’t been going well for the Texans, but with Collins back in the lineup and a home playoff game already lined up, Houston could be coming back to life in the home stretch.