The Texans don’t look like a team ready to replace Stefon Diggs for the rest of the season

When Houston Texans When the Buffalo Bills acquired wide receiver Stefon Diggs in an offseason trade, they hoped he would help elevate the play of quarterback CJ Stroud, as he did with Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

While Stroud didn’t follow up his stellar rookie season with an equally impressive sophomore season, he was effective in targeting his new veteran. In the first half of the season, Stroud completed 73 percent of his passes while targeting Diggs for a 104 passer rating.

Houston entered the 2024 season with an impressive collection of skill position players, but injuries have depleted the talent on offense. Diggs suffered a season-ending ACL tear on a non-contact play during Houston’s 23-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Diggs caught his knee right after cutting inside in the third quarter. He sat down on the grass before walking off the field. Despite his early exit, Diggs led the team with five catches for 81 yards.

Houston was already without wide receiver Nico Collins, who was placed on injured reserve in Week 5 with a hamstring injury. Without Diggs, the Texans’ wide receiver corps will have to make do with their backups.

Still, Houston seems unlikely to acquire another wide receiver before the Nov. 5 trade deadline. According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

“Diggs is an outstanding player and a loss for Houston,” Breer wrote Wednesday. “But Nico Collins is eligible to return from injured reserve next week, Tank Dell is a really good No. 2, and they have a veteran (Robert Woods) and a young player with upside (John Metchie III). So do I. Adam Thielen or Treylon Burks, I’m not so sure he’ll be an upgrade or even earn snaps over Woods and Metchie.”

Collins amassed 567 receiving yards through the first six weeks and appeared to be on pace to lead the league in most major receiving categories this season. Following his injury, Diggs emerged as the No. 1 offensive player in Houston’s offense. His 47 catches were seventh-most in the NFL and his 496 receiving yards were second-most on the team.

While the Texans will have to work with a temporary group for now, they should still have plenty of weapons when Collins returns. Second-year wide receiver Tank Dell appeared to have a great connection with Stroud before his season-ending injury in 2023. Third-year wide receiver John Metchie III remains a promising prospect, and veteran wide receiver Robert Woods provides the group with plenty of talent. experience and leadership.

While trading for a wide receiver would be an exciting move, it may be smarter for the Texans to stick with Stroud and the group of players familiar with the offense this season. Houston enters Week 9 with a 6-2 record, and their win over the Colts moved them three games ahead in the AFC South division.