Houston Texans’ Stefon Diggs talks becoming an ex-Bill

Stefon Diggs doesn’t believe in coincidences.

When he looked back on his first meeting with CJ Stroud in February at the Pro Bowl in Orlando, where he sat a few lockers away from the Texans quarterback, Diggs knew it was for a reason.

They talked and got to know each other. Two months later, they were teammates.

“I was like, he’s pretty cool,” Diggs said in his first public comments since being traded to Houston in April. “So when things started hitting fans and Houston was on the radar, it was ironic. I don’t believe in coincidences; everything happens for a reason. I asked God to light my path, and here I am.”

Diggs said that while he didn’t know where his future would take him after the Bills’ 2023 season, he thought he could be traded. His usage and goals during the second half of the season had declined significantly. He wasn’t used as much in the game plan.

“Throughout the season it was up and down, especially after the first eight (games),” Diggs said. “We changed coaches and different things went in different directions, differences in terms of schemes. … But for me it feels a little bit in the air, especially the personal feelings.”

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Since the end of the season and again after the trade, Diggs has been able to reflect on what happened. He said the “diva” reputation cited by some of his detractors did not bother him, adding that they did not know him personally.

He also called Bills quarterback Josh Allen “my guy” and “a complex part of my career,” but added that he was happy about the trade and happy to be in Houston with a team that , according to him, has a lot of potential.

His goal for this year is simple: win a Super Bowl.

“Obviously I believe in this team and their quarterback,” Diggs said. “These are unspoken things that we can all assume. For me, chasing a ring…it’s not like I came here to hunting he. I came here to win, and that starts from the first game. »

The Texans were already dangerous without Diggs. Receiver Nico Collins had a career year and was paid handsomely this offseason. Tank Dell, returning from an injury late last season, showed he can be a star too. And Dalton Schultz is arguably a top 10 tight end in the NFL.

But the addition of a four-time Pro Bowler who has 1,000 receiving yards in each of the last six seasons, with no signs of slowing down, puts the Texans in the conversation with the Chiefs and Ravens among the best teams in the AFC.

“From Diggs, what I saw, he was just a guy I thought I had,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “A guy who made plays. Every time we threw the ball to him, he recovered it. A confident guy. Really good teammate. Great energy in the building, in the locker room with the guys.”

The biggest question that has been asked is whether there are too many “mouths to feed” among the receivers.

Stroud doesn’t see it that way and doesn’t believe there will be a problem. He said Diggs has been selfless thus far, encouraging his teammates to succeed and serving as a mentor. He’s already close to Dell and recently praised Collins for signing an extension.

“I think you have to pick your poison when playing this,” Stroud said. “Who are you going to double? Who are you going to go to? You have five dogs that are capable of getting the ball on any given play.”

“I know (offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik) has done a great job of being more creative and putting different personnel groups together, guys in different positions, going from the inside to the outside.”

Stroud highlighted his experiences at Ohio State, where he had several star receivers at one time. During his sophomore season, they included Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave and Marvin Harrison Jr., all of whom are in the NFL and were first-round draft picks.

“I’m like, man, that’s football,” Stroud said. “You’re open, you get the ball.”

Diggs said the same thing, noting that it was one of the reasons he was happy to join the Texans. He finds himself in a new role in Houston as a veteran that many players look up to. He said he sees a lot of himself in some of the younger players like Dell, Collins and John Metchie, who said they saw him play when they were in high school.

Diggs called it a “breath of fresh air.”

“It kind of keeps me in the mindset where I just remember being in their shoes, and I’m just as hungry, if not more hungry now,” Diggs said. “‘I got a taste of the playoffs and I’m close. I see their mindset and the things they want for themselves, and that’s all I ever have wanted for me.”