The Houston Texans are 6-2 and should have felt pretty good about their chances of making the playoffs, given their strength in the passing game.
That strength took a big hit Tuesday. According to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, receiver Stefon Diggs, the team’s major acquisition in the offseason in a trade with the Buffalo Bills, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament last week that ended his season.
The Texans traded for Diggs, a four-time Pro Bowler, in one of the biggest moves of the offseason. Diggs has 47 catches for 496 yards and three touchdowns this season. The team made a move to add Diggs to the passing game, which began last season during QB CJ Stroud’s impressive rookie year. The trio of Diggs, Nico Collins, and Tank Dell were among the best players in the NFL. Collins was sidelined with a hamstring injury but is expected to return this season. The same cannot be said for Diggs.
This is a particularly harsh blow for Diggs considering he and the Texans restructured the veteran receiver’s contract to allow him to become a free agent after this season. Now, he’s 31 years old and coming back from 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 any hopes of making the playoffs, led by Stroud and a trio of impressive receivers, have dimmed a bit with the news that Diggs’ season, and perhaps his short Texans career, is over.
