What did the Texans trade for Stefon Diggs? Revisiting Houston's deal for former Bills WR
The Houston Texans were one of the NFL's most fearsome offenses during C.J. Stroud's rookie seasons. They only added to their offensive firepower by trading for Stefon Diggs during the 2024 offseason.
The Diggs trade was one of the biggest splashes of the 2024 NFL offseason. The 30-year-old was coming off a down season, as averaged just 4.8 catches and 48.3 yards per game in the second half of the season with only two touchdowns, but he still eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for the sixth consecutive season.
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Houston envisioned Diggs as a great third piece in their receiving corps, and a savvy veteran who would plug seamlessly in with their talented, young wide-outs to give Stroud a well-rounded group of pass-catchers.
And the best part for Houston? Diggs came at a relatively cheap price, both in the trade and monetarily.
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What did the Texans trade for Stefon Diggs?
Texans get:
- WR Stefon Diggs
- 2024 sixth-round pick (became RB Jawhar Jordan and OL LaDarius Henderson)
- 2025 fifth-round pick
Bills get:
- 2025 second-round pick
The Texans acquired Diggs opportunistically to turn their receiving rooms into one of the best in the NFL. He immediately showed that he was a good fit with the big-bodied Nico Collins and speedster Tank Dell by establishing himself as a red-zone threat, scoring two touchdowns in his first game and frequently gaining separation.
Should Diggs' quality performance continue, the Texans will likely be viewed as the winners of this trade, just as they were when it first occurred.
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Even still, Houston is still reaping the rewards of the trade, as the Texans received two draft picks in the Diggs deal. They dealt the 2024 sixth-round pick to the Detroit Lions for a later sixth-rounder and a seventh-rounder in the 2024 draft. Neither player selected – running back Jawhar Jordan and offensive lineman LaDarius Henderson – made Houston's 53-man roster, but Henderson remains in the organization. He was placed on the NFI list in July, so he could be a part of the team's future.
Even if Henderson doesn't pan out, the Texans still have another asset with which to work in the 2025 NFL draft, so they may get more than Diggs out of the deal yet.
For Buffalo's purposes, moving on from Diggs made sense. He had four years left on his contract and had some dramatic moments during his final year with the Bills, as he was shown getting upset on the sidelines multiple times. Getting 2025 second-round pick – a non-current asset – for Diggs was a tough pill for them to swallow considering their status as potential AFC contenders in 2024, but the Bills were still able to retool their receiving corps by drafting Keon Coleman and signing free agents like Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
At the very least, the Bills were able to move Diggs' big-money deal, a pact for which they seemingly quickly had buyer's remorse.
Stefon Diggs contract details
(All contract information is courtesy of Spotrac.com.)
- Length: 1 year
- Value: $22.52 million
Diggs was originally traded to the Texans just as the four-year, $96 million extension he signed with the Bills was kicking in.
However, Diggs and Houston restructured his contract shortly after his trade. The deal became a one-year pact worth up to $22.52 million that would allow Diggs to become a free agent during the 2025 NFL offseason at age 31. So, while the veteran pass-catcher sacrificed the long-term stability provided by his original four-year pact, he created an opportunity to cash out with a bigger deal on a still-burgeoning receiver market if he performs well in 2024.
The restructure was also beneficial to the Texans, as it made the team's acquisition of Diggs relatively risk-free. If the two sides don't mesh, Houston will be able to let Diggs walk in free agency and find a better long-term fit as a partner for Stroud.
It should be noted that Diggs' contract has void years attached to it that allowed the Texans to prorate his $20.8 million signing bonus through the 2028 season. As such, he will cost the team at least $4.161 million against the cap in each of the next four seasons despite the restructure.
But Houston was rightly willing to pay that price to take on Diggs' upside while retaining the flexibility needed to build around Stroud.